In Her Eyes
by Mia Vaan
Summary: "A lifelong atheist, you took one peek at the wings... and a believer was born!" In which Chloe goes to Carmen's house with Lucifer. A single drop creates a thousand ripples. Begins during 1x07 "Wingman".
1. Chapter One: Talking Body

**Disclaimer: _Lucifer_ is owned by DC comics and Fox.**

 **AN: This is an idea I've had for a long time now. Took forever to write, but I'm finally done. The story is complete at twelve chapters (though still requires some editing in places, which I'll be doing as I post), and unless something happens, I'll be posting every weekend. Enjoy!**

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"So much for Quid Pro Quo."

Chloe tore her gaze from Lucifer, and her body followed suit as she turned and left, pace quickened, heels clunking hard and angrily across the floor of the auction room. Behind her she heard Lucifer's sarcastic "Oh!" and refrained from steering back to wallop him.

He was infuriating, but that was nothing new. The man _breathed_ infuriating; it was in his nature. But most of the time it was – and she couldn't believe she was admitting it – the fun kind. The kind that made her smile on the inside while acting on the outside like it drove her up the wall.

 _This is different_. She shook her head as she passed the FBI agents lining up the auction guests and staff. _I thought he had my back. Even when he made a mistake and messed things up, he always made it up to me in the end. But now I finally have a lead, he ditches me, and over what? A pair of stupid angel wings_.

She'd almost reached the door when a treacherous voice at the back of her mind, which unsettlingly sounded too much like her father's, said, _They're not stupid to him_.

Her feet paused their angry steps and she stood still in the doorway, half in, half out. She couldn't stop the flashes of memory that swept past her eyes; of Lucifer's many expressions over the past week. How determined and angry he'd been when confronting the biker, how he'd been obviously flippant when assuring Agent Fitzgerald that yes, there wasn't a problem with waiting thirty days for the wings to be returned (her first and only clue that he was _definitely_ going to sneak into the auction himself), and then how dejected and almost lost he looked a minute ago, holding a handful of feathers in his hands, breathing deeply, trying his damn hardest to keep calm…

 _They were a gift from his father_ , she remembered. He hadn't been talking about the dolls when he'd told her that. Thinking about it some more, he hadn't given the dolls much of a glance once they'd uncovered them. _They were a failsafe; an extra layer of protection to throw people off, hiding what was truly important to him…_

And the wings _were_ important to him, no matter how silly that sounded. Chloe felt her mind drift to the small box she had hidden away in her mother's home, filled with things – or _junk_ , as Dan had christened them during one of their more nasty and heated arguments some months ago – that had once belonged to her father. Small bits and pieces which would be worthless to anyone else, but not to _her_.

Because each item had belonged to her father.

The same went for Lucifer's wings. To anyone else, they wouldn't be that important; part of a costume, or something that could be hung up on a wall like art. But to him, they were priceless; worth more than what anyone at the auction was willing to pay for them.

Guilt began to creep up on her, and she let out a sigh. "Shit." The wings were important to him, just like the Palmetto case was important to her. Quid Pro Quo went both ways – and in her desperation to find answers, she'd forgotten that.

If Lucifer had suddenly found a new lead on his wings and had tried to pull her away from Palmetto? She knew she would've reacted in the same way he had a minute ago.

"Detective?"

Chloe turned and found Lucifer standing behind her, frowning in surprise, though beneath that she could see a sense of desperation beginning to take hold. _He wants to go find his wings_. "Hi," she said back, and immediately felt silly for it. _Hi? That's all I can say to him?_

"Yes, hello, again." His frown deepened slightly for only a moment, before his eyebrows rose up and he stepped forwards, arms extended slightly as he attempted to move past her. "If you excuse me-"

"No, wait." Chloe reached out and placed her hands on his chest to stop him. Barely a moment passed before she realized how the man-whose-mind-was-permanently-in-the-gutter would react to her touch, and she quickly pulled away. Lucifer didn't say a word about it, however, which told her enough. _He's really fixated_. "I'm sorry. I overreacted back there."

He frowned again. "Detective?"

She sighed. "I tend to get a little…crazy when it comes to the Palmetto case. Dan's told me that plenty of times. And sometimes when I get too invested in it, I can be blinded by…single-mindedness, I guess. I act as though it's the only thing that matters – as you unfortunately saw back there."

"Yes, you definitely could have handled things better."

His words were spoken with his usual jest, and when she looked up at his face she saw that there were the beginnings of a smile gracing his lips. It was like an infection, and she found herself smiling a little bit, too. "Look… What I'm trying to say is… I can't pretend to understand why the wings mean so much to you. But if we're really…partners, or colleagues, or whatever the hell it is we are…"

"Nothing forged in Hell. That I'm certain of."

She laughed a little at his nonchalant Devil reference. "If we're really…whatever we are…it should be enough just knowing that they do. And it was selfish of me to act like my case was the only one that mattered."

Lucifer stared down at her for a moment, head tilted inquisitively like he was having a small revelation of his own. "If this is Quid Pro Quo, then it works both ways. We're equal partners; equal fresh pairs of eyes, so to speak. Our cases are equally as important. And I suppose…" He looked down at his feet, "…you weren't the only one acting out of line… I mean, you know, I…"

He was trying to apologize – something that was clearly a foreign concept for him – and Chloe let out a soft laugh. _He's adorable when he babbles. And did I really just think that?_

She noticed Lucifer giving her an almost boyish grin in response to her laugh, but it quickly disappeared and he clapped his hands together. "Right then! Quid Pro Quo, here we go!" He paused, frowning. "That sounded unbearably cheesy then, didn't it?"

The detective laughed again. "A little bit, yeah."

He shrugged. "No harm, no fowl. Can I borrow your phone?"

Chloe frowned at the sudden question. "Why?" _And why in this day and age does he not have a phone?_

"I have some favours to call in from people who'll know all about Carmen and his whereabouts," Lucifer explained. "I was originally going to go back to Lux and call them, but with you here now, it'll save us a trip. And the best part? It'll take them some time to get back to me, so while we wait, we can go chase your new lead at Palmetto street. How does that sound?"

Surprise filled her when she realized that Lucifer, of all people, was trying to compromise by working on both cases at the same time.

"That…actually sounds like a pretty solid plan." _Looks like I've got my partner back_.

Chloe had caught a lift with the FBI to get to the auction, so there was no other choice but to ride with Lucifer in his convertible – though to his credit, he didn't break any speed limits with her, like she'd half expected him to in order to annoy her.

As they drove she recounted every little detail about the case, while temporarily sliding in her new hypothesis to see if it made any sense. _It does, crazy as it sounds. Lucifer was right; Audi wouldn't want Malcolm dead if he was the "golden goose". Someone else had to have been there, and they must have escaped somehow. Carmen proved tonight that secret escape routes aren't the stuff of movies_.

When they parked up upon arriving, part of Chloe wished that they'd stopped by her home first so she could change into something more appropriate, because searching for a secret door in high heels wasn't her idea of fun. But there simply wasn't time; she was racing against the clock.

She took out her torch and led the way inside.

Lucifer was in the process of undoing his bowtie when he asked, "So what is this new lead you have found, Detective?"

Chloe only hesitated for a moment. _This isn't Dan, or any other cop. This is Lucifer. He won't think I'm crazy, like everyone else does – like I was close to starting to believe myself_. "You said that it made no sense for Audi to shoot his inside man, right?"

"Right."

"But no one else was there. No one could have shot Malcolm and fled without me seeing them – because there _was_ no obvious exit." She turned to him and came to a halt, holding out a finger like she always did when trying to convince someone of an insane theory she had. "But maybe, just maybe, hear me out…there was a _secret_ one."

It was a relief – and not a surprise – when Lucifer didn't scoff nor doubt her like Dan would have done. He actually smiled, his eyes lighting up like they did whenever she made a clever connection in a case. It was a constant reminder that despite his leers and sexual comments, he respected her and her skills. He liked that she was smart. "Oh, now that _is_ a keen observation. When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

She smirked at his Sherlock reference. "Exactly. There's gotta be an explanation for what I saw, and that's the only one I've got right now. And Palmetto street used to be the home base of a drug ring back in the late eighties, so it wouldn't be entirely unbelievable for a secret passageway to exist."

"It would make sense," said Lucifer. "Though I do wish you'd think the same when it comes to me, Detective. You've seen me do things that are impossible, and yet you still refuse to believe that I'm the Devil. I mean, what other explanation is there?"

"You're a mostly harmless insane-o with delusions and daddy issues?"

He rolled his eyes and stepped forwards, but while he opened his mouth to say something, no words came out – for another noise had distracted him.

A creek in the floor. And as he moved his foot up and down, the floorboard moved a little, as well.

"I'm not familiar with the buildings along this street, but I'm fairly certain that their floors should be just as sturdy as every other building in the city," said Lucifer.

Chloe brought her foot down hard, and underneath the floorboard it sounded…hollow. Like there was a gap.

"This could be it," she said, bending down while removing a pocket knife from her purse. When she found the right groove, she stuck the knife down and applied her strength, though Lucifer had to lend a hand before they could get the floorboard to pop up.

 _I was right_. She shined her torch down the set of stairs they had discovered, and without hesitation Chloe descended down with Lucifer right behind her. A thought kept nudging itself forwards in her mind: _How did no one discover this? The place was searched, and everyone was thorough_. Granted no one had exactly been looking for a secret passage, but not one cop had noticed the floorboard?

Lights suddenly flickered on, and Chloe turned to see that Lucifer had found the switch. She still kept her torch switched on, as the light wasn't very bright and didn't reach all the dark corners. The sound of traffic lead them to a ladder and an opening above them.

"Looks like it leads up to the street," she mused aloud. She lowered her torch for only a moment, but it was enough for the light to hit something on the floor which reflected back, catching her eye. She swept the torch light back again until she saw what had caught her attention: a small, golden key. "Hey."

She took out a square of blue tissue and used it to pick the key up.

"What is it?" Lucifer asked. She could feel him hovering over her shoulder.

For a moment, she didn't answer. Shock gripped her as she held the key before her, the numbers engraved onto it telling her that there was far more to her case than she had initially thought. She never would've guessed, never would've thought it had the evidence not been staring her in the face.

"999 key, LAPD issued," she finally replied.

"So our comatose cop used this secret passage to meet with Audi?"

Chloe shook her head. "No. Malcolm had his key on him when he was shot."

She looked up to her partner, and watched as the realization slowly dawned across his face. "Wait…so that means…?"

"Another cop was here." She nodded over and over. "I was right." _I'm not crazy, after all_. "A cop knew this secret passageway existed – and whoever it was shot Malcolm."

For a flash of a moment, she swore she saw fiery red in Lucifer's eyes, but then she blinked and it was gone. _Must've been a trick of the light, or a car passing by above us_.

"So one of those officers back at the station who hates you and keeps glaring at you… One of them was responsible, and they've been making your life miserable? Knowingly?" He was angry on her behalf, and it made her smile just a little. "Why? Why shoot him?"

She shook her head, her gaze returning to the key in her hand. "That's what I've gotta figure out."

Lucifer place a hand on her shoulder, and she looked back up at him. The red she thought she saw before was gone, replaced with dark, chocolate brown which looked almost black in the dim light. Yet despite their dark colour, there was a warmth to them that set her heart at ease. "No, Detective. It's what _we_ have to figure out."

The gratitude and, dare she think it, _friendship_ she felt from his words alone was almost overwhelming, and it took her some effort to push her feelings – and the sudden urge to hug him – down and focus on the case. _If I suddenly tackled him, he'll never let me live it down. I'll be doomed to cheesy sexual innuendos for the rest of my life_.

Chloe took in a deep breath and let it out again. "Thanks." _Thank you for having my back. Thank you for not thinking I'm crazy. Thank you for being probably the only friend I have right now_.

"So what's our next move, Detective?" Lucifer asked as she tucked the key in her pocket. "Back to the station to announce your findings to everyone? Rub it in that you were right? I'm excellent at looking smug. I have to be since I'm always right." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Most of the time."

She shook her head. "No. If we show up and announce what we've found, whoever it is will either run or come after us. And I can't risk everyone around me, especially Trixie. She'll be their first target."

"Protect your offspring, of course."

 _Why does he call children 'offspring'? He's seriously weird_. "Yeah. I'm her mother. That's what I'm supposed to do."

It looked as though he was about to comment, but apparently thought better of it and instead said, "So what's the plan, then?"

"We stop by the precinct," Chloe replied. "They're holding a wake for Malcolm. Everyone will be there."

"I thought you _weren't_ going to announce your findings?"

"I'm not," she said. "If we're going to find a dirty cop, it's best that they don't think we're looking. So, I'm going to announce that I'm closing the case while I keep looking into it in secret."

He smirked. "Oh, you naughty girl."

She rolled her eyes. "It's not just that. If the case is open after he dies, then the benefits that go to his family will be effected. Even if it turns out that Malcolm _was_ on the take, his family had nothing to do with that, and it wouldn't be fair on them."

"It's times like this when I realize that you're too good for this sinful Earth, Chloe Decker."

 _One minute he's an annoying jackass trying to get me into bed, and the next he says stuff like…that_. She bit her lip and looked down, attempting to hide her blush. "It'll be harder to work in secret, but I've done it before. I could even ask Dan to look into some stuff for me."

And as always, the mention of her ex wiped the smile from Lucifer's face. "That might not be the best idea, Detective."

"Why not?"

"Because every single officer is a suspect," he explained. "And that unfortunately, whether you like to believe it or not, includes Detective Douche. You can't let your…feelings for him get in the way of the case, or…cloud your judgement, or whatever it is that feelings do to you humans. Nasty things. It's why I never had them."

Chloe ignored the last part and instead focussed on what he'd said about her ex. "Dan wouldn't do something like this."

"Can you say that for certain?" asked her partner. "I mean, you _are_ divorcing him, so maybe you don't know him as well as you think you do. Can you say with complete certainty that you _know_ he would never do such a thing, and he had an alibi for the night of the shooting?"

The irritation was back, but not because of Lucifer's typical 'let's pick on Dan' attitude. _He's right. I can't say that for certain_. But she wasn't about to admit it. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Since you didn't answer the question, that means you _aren't_ certain."

"Lucifer."

His smile dropped. "Alright, fine. Yes, the possibility that it could be His Royal Douche-ness is exciting. But…I'm hoping, for only your sake, that he's not."

Her building anger died before it even came close to reaching critical. _Whirlwind Lucifer strikes again. How does he do that?_ "I don't think he did it…but you're right. I can't tell anyone at the precinct that I'm working on this, and that includes Dan. And I doubt he'd help, anyway. He didn't admit it, but the only reason he tagged along today was to make me see that there's nothing here worth stabbing anymore."

"But on the contrary," Lucifer gestured to the secret passageway they were standing in, "there's plenty here to stab. Shows how much Detective Douche knows."

He passed her, and even though Chloe was shaking her head, she was smiling. _He never quits_.

Keeping herself amused was all she could do to ignore the worry that Lucifer had unintentionally set alight; the possibility of it being Dan all along. He was only a suspect, like all the other officers were, and was probably the least likely out of all of them to have done it…but the worry remained, and it stayed with her all the way to the precinct.

The announcement at the wake went better than Chloe had expected it to go. Anthony Paolucci showed hostility towards her, though that was old news, and she had to hold Lucifer back from hand-delivering a second punch. But that hostility was gone by the time she finished her announcement and raised her shot glass in Malcolm's memory.

Barely a moment had passed when she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. One glance at the screen told her that it was for Lucifer, and she handed the phone over to him before he stepped aside and answered.

She felt herself tense up when Dan approached. "Hey. I think it's great that you showed up tonight."

"I wasn't about to let them scare me away," she said, attempting to sound casual. She felt terrible hiding the truth from him, and kept biting her lip to prevent the words from gliding over her tongue. _We found something. A cop was there. A cop shot Malcolm, and that means you're a suspect, Dan_.

His expression didn't change. "Didn't find anything, huh?"

"No." Chloe shook her head, relieved that he hadn't noticed anything wrong…but also disappointed. They'd once been happily married and in love. A small part of Chloe still loved him; the part of her who wanted to hold onto how innocent and wonderful it had felt, being in love.

 _It was amazing…and naïve_. Being married was about more than just love; it took commitment, something Dan hadn't been able to do, and slowly she'd begun to realize that she didn't know him as well as she'd thought – and likewise, he didn't know her. _That's why I can always lie to him…like now_.

And it was why she couldn't exclude him from the suspect list. She just wasn't certain.

When she pulled herself out of her thoughts, she noticed that Dan's gaze was sweeping her body. He'd noticed how well-dressed she was. "You going out?" His eyes immediately sought out Lucifer behind her, who was of course still wearing his tux, and Chloe realized immediately what it looked like.

"It's not a date," she told him hurriedly. "We were busting a black-market auction. That's where the…angel wings were being sold."

Dan rolled his eyes. "Chloe, this is getting beyond ridiculous. You have a club-owner sidekick who's so buried in his own delusions that he thinks he's the actual Devil, and obviously, he likes to cosplay about it. You're dating a whack-job. Are you intentionally trying to get back at me for everything that happened between us?"

"I said it wasn't a date! We're not dating!" Chloe hissed, attempting not to draw attention from their co-workers. She already suspected that they all assumed she was sleeping with Lucifer. The looks of jealousy from the women and some of the men were enough of a give-away. _And arriving at the precinct together dressed as we are will doubtlessly add more fuel to the fire_. "He's my partner, and a helpful one. He's actually focussed on catching the people responsible instead of opening and shutting cases as quickly as possible, he doesn't call me crazy whenever I 'stab too hard' at something, and he never lies to me."

"So you believe his name is actually Lucifer Morningstar?"

It was her turn to roll her eyes. "His name doesn't matter. Yes, he may be weird and infuriating, and sometimes I just wanna rip my hair out, but you know what? That's just how he is, and I like him. I trust him."

"Ooh, Detective. I never knew you cared."

 _Of course he has to come back just when I'm inflating his ego_. Chloe turned away from Dan and focussed on her partner. "You've got a lead?"

"Yes. Shall we go?"

She nodded, and shooting one last look of annoyance at her ex, Chloe followed Lucifer out of the precinct.

It took a while, but eventually they pulled up outside a large, secluded house on the outskirts of the city. On top of that, it looked expensive – just the kind of home that belonged to a black-market dealer.

"This Carmen was a very hard man to find," Lucifer said aloud. "No phone, no bank account, home listed under one of his many aliases…"

"Then how did you find him? Or how did your people find him?" Chloe asked. "The FBI have been after this guy for years, but he always evaded them."

"You should know by now that I have my ways, Detective," said Lucifer with a smirk.

Her eyebrow rose. "You mean that weird voodoo thing you do with your eyes that seems to make everyone tell you their deepest darkest secrets, and I can't for the life of me figure out how you do it?"

"I told you how I do it, darling. I'm the Devil. The real mystery is why it doesn't work on you. You're the one case I'd _love_ to solve." He leered. "The research possibilities are endless."

"Has that pick-up line ever worked for you before?"

"I've never used it before, Detective. That's what makes you so special." His smirk just kept on growing, and she wondered how wide it could get before his entire face was just a grin. "There are many… _different_ things I'd love to try with you."

" _And_ this conversation is over." She took out her phone…

…which was immediately snatched away. "Hang on, Detective! What do you think you're doing?"

She gave him a look that screamed 'duh'. "I'm calling the FBI so they can arrest Carmen."

"Well, don't do it yet! I haven't gotten my wings back, and I don't want any of those snobby little agents getting their hands on what's mine! Do you not realize what could happen if humanity got even a glimpse of real divinity?"

"They'll have the strong desire to dress up as angels the next time they go to San Diego Comic-Con?"

Lucifer let out a frustrated sigh. "This is no time for joking around, Detective!"

"Welcome to my world every single time you join me on a case. Now give me back my phone."

He sighed again and tossed the phone into her lap. "There, happy now?"

"So if I can't call the FBI, what's the plan?"

"I didn't say you shouldn't call them at all, Detective," said Lucifer. "Just not yet. Once I have my wings, you can call them up and they can arrest Carmen for the crime of daring to steal from the Devil." He opened his door, but remained seated. "Now, I'm going to go inside and have a nice chat with our friend. It's best if you wait out here in case any of his…friends show up. And when I say "friends" I mean people who he pays to like him."

Chloe nodded. She had a feeling that Lucifer was about to do something she _really_ wouldn't approve of, but had since learned to just let him get on with it instead of trying to stop him.

With a nod in return, Lucifer climbed out the car and slammed the door shut behind him. He stalked towards the house like a predator on the hunt, and Chloe was reminded of the black panthers she had seen on one of the more educational shows that Trixie liked to watch. Everything about him screamed 'danger', but Chloe knew better. She had seen glimpses beneath the exterior and knew there was a kind heart buried under the bravado and security walls he'd built around himself.

She only wished that he'd let them down more often.

It took her all of five minutes before she gave into her instincts and called Agent Fitzgerald. She reasoned that Lucifer would be in a hurry to retrieve his wings, so wouldn't take very long at all, and would be out with the wings long before the FBI even arrived. Her desire to get home to Trixie as soon as possible fuelled the call.

Explaining away why they'd gone after Carmen themselves was easy enough – she just took a page out of Lucifer's book and told the truth, but not all of it. When she hung up, she returned her gaze to the front door of the house and waited for Lucifer to return. _He shouldn't be long now_.

But as the minutes stretched by, she began to worry. _Carmen's a wealthy man. I'd be more surprised if he_ _ **didn't**_ _have some kind of security detail guarding his home_. And while she'd seen Lucifer throw grown men through glass windows with only one had (she _still_ couldn't understand how he'd been able to do that) she'd also seen what a bullet could do to him.

When _she_ shot him, anyway. She couldn't understand what had happened with Jimmy.

Knowing that the FBI would be arriving shortly, Chloe climbed out of the car and hurried towards the front door. She found it left ajar, but there was no sign of a struggle. _So far, so good_. Drawing her gun, she pushed the door open further and slowly stepped inside. She dared not call out Lucifer's name, no matter how much she wanted to. _I hope he's OK_.

She couldn't hear a sound, which was strange; she expected to hear at least some talking. _Unless they know I'm here and are waiting for me_. But she decided to press on anyway.

Moving further into the house, she noticed a blue light coming from one of the larger rooms. The living room, maybe. It didn't look like anyone was in there, so she had to move on. And yet…

 _Something_ was drawing her into the room. Something she couldn't place. A… _desire_. (And she actually heard Lucifer's voice as she said the word in her head. She was officially going insane.)

She knew there was little time; she had to find Lucifer and get out, hopefully with the wings, before the FBI arrived. But her feet moved on their own accord, carrying her into the living room. There were artefacts dotted around the room, and a blue glow from several lights in the yard outside illuminated the room in a light that wasn't too bright, yet allowed the occupant to see everything.

The lights were directed at something, she noticed – something behind her.

She turned slowly.

Her eyes widened.

She gasped.

And stood frozen.

Wings. Beautiful, gorgeous, magnificent wings, each wingspan as tall as her.

They were white; the colour of purest starlight, though they glistened blue in the artificial light from outside.

They didn't deserve to be bathed in light that wasn't real and pure. They didn't deserve to be mounted on some collector's wall like a crude hunting trophy. They were Lucifer's, and they belonged on his back, right where his scars were…

 _His scars…_

Chloe's eyes widened further as everything sunk in.

There was no way that the wings before her were fake. She just… _knew_ , deep down.

They were real.

And they were Lucifer's.

Which meant only one thing.

 _Oh my God. Oh my_ _ **God**_.

 _Lucifer Morningstar… His real name…_

 _His records only go back five years…_

 _He came out without a scratch from the hailstorm of bullets that killed Delilah…then he walked away from being shot six times…_

 _He sent Jimmy into insanity…_

 _He can draw out people's darkest desires…_

 _He was right in front of me one moment, then I blinked, and he was directly behind me…and showed me a bullet he claimed to have plucked out of thin air…_

 _He threw a man through a glass window with one hand…_

 _He seemed shocked and confused when he started bleeding after I shot him…_

 _There was a flash of fire in his reflection…_

 _And the scars on his back…are from where he cut his wings off…the wings that I'm staring at right now…_

 _Oh God, oh God, oh God…_

She froze mid-thought. _God. God…is real, too. Shit. Lucifer's the Devil, the Devil exists, Hell exists, Heaven exists, God exists…_

Her heartrate began to pick up. Her entire body trembled. She sucked in several deep breaths.

 _Don't panic…don't panic…_

She realized that her gun wasn't in her hand anymore, and looked down to find it lying on the floor. _I didn't even realize I dropped it_.

A door closed somewhere. She jumped with a gasp and spun around. There was no one, and yet, she had come looking for Lucifer and Carmen, and they had to still be in the house…

 _Lucifer. Still here_. Her panic increased. _Gotta get out of here. Gotta get away from him. Holy shit, my partner's the Devil. The freaking_ _ **Devil**_ _. And I let him near my kid…_

Trying not to make a sound, she walked fast towards the front door. She was in the hall when she realized that she'd left her gun behind, and for a moment she turned back to get it…but there was another noise, and it was closer, and she decided to screw the gun and made a run for the door.

"Detective?"

The front door opened, and there was Lucifer, the _**Devil**_ , standing before her, and she skidded to a halt. Every instinct in her brain told her to run, run like Hell was on her heels ( _literally!_ ) or at least run back to where the wings were and collect her gun. A small voice nagged that she probably looked like a deer in the headlights, told her to straighten up and act like nothing was wrong, because if he still thought that she didn't know his secret then maybe he'd let her go so she could get back to Trixie and they could pack up and run, run, _run_ …

"Lucifer!" She took a step back and composed herself. _I was an actress. My mother was an actress. I can do this_. "I was just looking for you. It was… I mean, you were taking a while, so…I thought you might need some back up… What were you doing back outside?"

"Looking for you," he said. He was frowning, and there was a small amount of confusion in his voice.

He stepped forwards, and she took a step back. "OK, why don't you…calm down…"

"Calm down?" His head tilted. "I think you're the one who needs to calm down, Detective. Your heart's beating awfully fast."

She expected him to follow up with a comment about the effects of being within his vicinity…and that expectation made her realize just how _close_ they'd grown, and the knowledge that she'd grown close to the _**Devil**_ hit her like a ton of bricks and her heart beat faster and her trembling was growing to uncontrollable levels…

"No. I'm…fine…" She didn't mean for her voice to shake so much… "Just…the adrenaline…"

His eyes darkened a little. "You should know by now that I hate liars, Detective." His head tilted to the other side. "You saw them, didn't you? My wings. And now you know the truth – the very same truth I was trying to tell you, right from the very beginning. Now do you believe me, Detective?"

 _Yeah. Oh yeah_. She nodded hurriedly. "I…you…I…"

"Detective…" He stepped forwards, arm reaching towards her…

She flinched away and wished she'd gone back for her gun. "No…"

For a moment, she thought she saw a brief flash of hurt in his eyes. "I won't hurt you, Chloe."

She took another step back. "You're…you're the Devil."

"Yes, I am. I thought we already clarified that with you taking a peek at my wings." He sounded annoyed. "But in case you missed the memo that I repeated over and over when I was in your company, I'm not evil. I _punish_ evildoers. I did it in Hell, and now I'm doing it here on Earth. And I'd be enjoying it a Hell of a lot more if my idiotic brother would just leave me alone!"

"Your…your brother." _Amenadiel? Was that his name? If he's Lucifer's brother, does that mean he's an Angel, or something?_

"Yes, the man you were so… _charmed_ over was the one who tipped Carmen off about my wings!" The Devil began to pace, and she could only watch. Her feet were rooted to the spot no matter how loud her brain screamed at them to run. "Not only did he cause the death of that biker, but he almost exposed humanity to the great divinity of my wings, and that's the _last_ thing we need!"

 _Humanity…exposed…to his wings…_ Despite the panic and the fear, her brain managed to register what he was saying and implying, and her eyes widened when she suddenly remembered that she'd called the FBI, and they were on their way. _If they see the wings…_

"I…called them."

Lucifer stopped pacing and turned his dark eyes on her. "What was that?"

"The FBI," Chloe explained. "I called them. I…I thought you'd only be gone for a few minutes, because you looked so desperate to find the wings, so I thought it wouldn't hurt if I called ahead…"

She trailed off and shrunk back at the sudden rage in his eyes.

The eyes that suddenly turned red and filled with flame.

" _I told you not to call them!_ "

Chloe was trapped in his eyes. She couldn't escape. Her heartrate increased, her trembling was likely to start an earthquake, and her breathing was rapid as she began to fall forwards, falling into his eyes where there was no escape from Lucifer, no escape from herself…

She thought she heard Lucifer call out her name in panic, but she was already halfway gone, and when she hit the floor she met darkness and nothing else.


	2. Chapter Two: Breathe into Me

**AN: I'd like to say a huge thanks to everyone who's read and commented so far!**

 **Also, just a question: was the precinct location change between seasons one and two ever explained?**

* * *

Chloe's head spun as she swum back into consciousness, and she wondered how many drinks she'd had in order to feel so tired and drained. _I haven't been out in so long. Who was I out with?_

She opened her eyes and realized that she was home, lying on the pull-out bed in the living area. She didn't recall coming home nor making the bed, so either a friend had done it or she had and simply couldn't remember.

Yet there was no headache. _And if I'd been lucid enough to make the bed, surely I would've changed out of my clothes_ , she thought, looking down at the dress she wore. Her shoes were gone, however.

 _No headache…and it isn't even morning_ , she realized when she saw that it was still dark outside. _So unless I slept through the whole day, which is doubtful because Trixie would've woken me up…_

She frowned, trying to figure out what had happened. _Who would I be out with? Definitely not Dan, and I really don't have any friends these days. The only person I could count as my friend is Lucifer…_

Lucifer.

His name brought everything rushing back.

 _Lucifer…his wings… Lucifer's the Devil… He's…_

"You're awake!"

Chloe spun and leapt to her feet, reaching for the gun that wasn't there – _crap, what did Lucifer do with my gun?_ – but relaxed when she realized who it was. "Julia, you scared me."

Julia Connell, Trixie's frequent babysitter, hurried over. "You scared _me_. I mean… Shit, you looked so pale and… If Lucifer hadn't assured me that you were fine-"

"Lucifer?" The panic started to build again, but she kept it under control. "Lucifer was here?"

"Yeah, he dropped you off. Carried you inside, and everything. You're one lucky woman, Chloe." And then she smiled and giggled like a schoolgirl.

Chloe ignored the younger woman as the knowledge that Lucifer _had been in her house_ _ **again**_ set in, and she immediately bolted over to Trixie's bedroom door. It was left ajar, and she poked her head around before sighing in relief at the sight of her daughter fast asleep in bed with one of her many stuffed animals tucked under her arm. _Good. She's safe_.

She wasn't really sure what she'd been expecting. While Trixie loved to treat Lucifer like he was a favourite uncle (he was even an exception to the 'No Boys Allowed' rule in her bedroom, next to Dan), Lucifer seemed to be almost afraid of her, or at least awkward around her; like he didn't know how he should react. The only time he acted otherwise was when he first met her, and terrified the bully with…well, she wasn't sure _what_ he'd shown that girl, but if it was anything like she'd witnessed…

 _Those eyes…_

She shook her head, refusing to get lost in the memory of them.

Short story: Trixie was safe, and Chloe doubted that Lucifer would be interested in the child. He was more interested in Chloe herself.

 _Which isn't good, either_.

It took her a moment to realize that Julia was talking again. "…Trixie's been talking about him for weeks, and now I understand why. But what's with the name? Is it a persona thing, or is he some kind of method actor?"

 _You have no idea_. Chloe breathed in, out, calming herself down and stopping herself from ranting and raving at Julia that the man she so obviously had a crush on was the Devil himself, no joke. She already had enough people thinking she was crazy; she didn't want to add Trixie's babysitter to the list. "Did Lucifer say anything before he left?" _Like if he'll be stopping by anytime soon, and if so, when, so I can get out of here with Trixie before he does?_

"Not much." Julia was collecting her stuff; paperwork and her laptop, all of which she tucked into her bag. "He seemed kind of upset. I asked what was wrong, but he didn't tell me. He just asked me to make sure you read the note from him."

"Note?"

"It's on the counter over there, under your gun." Julia slung the bag over her shoulder before she nodded over at the kitchen counter, where Chloe's gun was lying like it hadn't been touched. And underneath it was a folded sheet of paper.

Chloe frowned, and remained frowning as she opened the door to let Julia out. She waited until the other woman was gone before she closed the door and hesitantly walked over to her gun and the note underneath it.

She wanted to tear the note into pieces without even reading it and throw it away. Better yet, she wanted to burn it. She almost did the former, but then thought that maybe Lucifer had written down if and when he'd be coming back, so picked the note up and opened it.

Scribbles, words that had been crossed out… The page was covered in them. An entire sentence had even been scribbled through. She couldn't make out most of what he'd originally written under all the scribbles…

…but she could certainly read what was left.

 _Chloe,_

 _Please understand that I never, ever meant to scare you, nor hurt you. I know you meant well, and you didn't even come close to deserving my wrath. You saw my nastier side, and I'm truly sorry that you did._

 _I know you're afraid, and doubtless you never want to see me again. I understand, and honestly don't blame you. But please, remember everything I've said and everything I've done. I meant it when I said that I have never lied to you, and never will._

 _I am sorry. Truly I am. I don't ask for your forgiveness, but I hope that I will earn it someday._

 _Your favourite Devil,_

 _Lucifer_

 _P.S. Casual make-up sex is always on the table._

Chloe snorted out a short laugh at the last sentence before she could stop herself. It was such a… _Lucifer_ thing to write, even though any thought about sleeping with the Devil slightly disturbed her.

She re-read the letter a few times before realizing that she really believed what he was saying. There was a sincerity to his words; a sincerity that had appealed to her when they'd first met. And even though they were nothing more than words put to paper, the softness of them was evident. Lucifer didn't show her his softer side all that often, but she'd noticed that the more time she spent with him, the more he let her see beneath the exterior. She was beginning to discover the kind, almost gentle soul that he had buried deep down…

 _Wait…_ She shook her head a little. _This is the Devil I'm thinking about_. And yet, that thought didn't set off another panic attack.

Her brain screamed at her everything she'd ever heard about the Devil and everything he was supposed to be; evil, irredeemable, heartless, unforgivable… But all the while, her gut was disagreeing and telling her the opposite; that the Devil she knew was different from the Devil she'd heard of, and that she should trust what she could see with her own eyes instead of what everyone else said about him.

Whenever she was working a case, she always followed her gut. _But this time, following my gut means trusting the Devil himself_.

 _The Devil with the most gorgeous wings I've ever seen_. They really were beautiful, and she couldn't even begin to comprehend how such beauty belonged to a deity of such evil. _Maybe because he's not evil_ , whispered a voice in her head, and the term 'Not Evil, Just Misunderstood' came to mind. Thinking back on all her encounters with him, Chloe realized that while Lucifer had done some morally ambiguous things, he'd never crossed the line into _evil_.

 _Naughty_ , yes. _Evil_ , no.

She pressed a palm to her forehead. _This is gonna fry my brain if I think about it too hard_. It was like before, when she was trying to figure him out and make sense of everything he did, only her current situation was worse because it was less solving a mystery and more trying to decide if the _Devil_ could be trusted.

There were two options. She could ignore it, like she had ignored all the weird stuff he did that didn't add up, and just get on with her life – but that meant trusting the Devil. Or she could shut him out of her life – but despite how badly she had wanted to do that at first, she had grown to like him, and enjoyed working with him.

It was a dilemma, one that her mind couldn't handle. _I'm only human. This divinity…is too much. No wonder Jimmy went insane_.

"Chloe?"

Chloe jumped at the voice of her ex and quickly turned to find him stood behind her. She hadn't even heard him come in. "Dan? What are you doing here?" She quickly put the note face down on the counter and hoped that he didn't ask about it.

"We didn't get a chance to really talk back at the precinct," said Dan. "Since you left so fast with-"

"Lucifer was _not_ my date."

Dan gave her a look that screamed 'I don't entirely believe you, but whatever', and she clenched her fist but ignored it. "What I wanted to say was… I'm glad you closed the case. Sometimes these things happen, and stabbing at this case was like stabbing an already dead body: useless and pointless. Now everyone can put Palmetto behind us and move on."

Chloe bit her lip, holding back her rage and resisting the urge to yell at her ex. She wanted to tell him _so bad_ that the stabbing had been worth it; that she found a lead and proved to herself that she wasn't crazy. She wanted to rub it in that she was right and he was wrong.

But logic won out, and she kept the words on her tongue. Lucifer was right when he said that she couldn't tell Dan, and his words and earlier pushy attitude were starting to sound and look awfully suspicious…

Dan was Team "Everyone Else", siding with the popular opinion over hers and caring more about his job and reputation. He had persistently tried to persuade her to close the case, even before the decision was made to pull the plug on Malcolm. Chloe couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if she hadn't felt guilty about her words to Lucifer; if she had left the auction and gone to Dan like she'd originally intended to do. He would've gone with her, but she doubted he would've been supportive like Lucifer had been. There was a strong bet that he would've walked out on her once she told him her "secret door" theory – meaning that they most likely would never have found the stairs, nor the key.

Lucifer was the opposite. He'd been supportive; had listened to her theories no matter how crazy they sounded. He genuinely respected her, something surprising considering his reputation with women, and his attempts to get her into bed were more playful and flirty. She couldn't help but think back to their first case together, when he'd told her that she had good instincts and then insisted that she was smart (in front of Dan, as well); she'd felt a rush of appreciation at the sincerity of his words, not to mention surprise that someone was actually taking her seriously for a change. As annoying and infuriating as he could be, he had her back, and she trusted him.

She realized with a start that she _still_ trusted him, despite the revelation.

 _And how insane is it that the Devil is proving to be a better partner than my ex?_

He'd said that he had never lied to her, and never will. And that included his actions; his want to help her, his determination to punish criminals, his insistence that he was a punisher of evil and not evil himself… Everything was coming back to her, and she realized that nothing had to change between them. Lucifer was always the Devil; it wasn't like he'd become the Devil overnight. The Devil had her back, the Devil told her no lies, the Devil supported her and didn't treat her like she was crazy.

Chloe's work had taught her to never believe everything she heard, or read. _Maybe that includes the freaking Bible?_

It had to, because with the shock gone and allowing her to think straight, she couldn't force herself to believe that the man she had struck up a partnership with was evil like everyone said he was. She figured that he would've already done something to her if he was, and he hadn't, and that wasn't the point because she couldn't even entertain the notion that Lucifer was capable of killing…

"Chloe?"

She blinked and returned her attention to Dan. "Yeah?"

"I've been trying to get your attention for almost a minute. You completely spaced out on me. Is everything OK?"

Chloe stared at him for a moment before nodding. "Yeah… Everything's fine." _My only friend right now is the Devil…and I'm strangely OK with that_. She bit her lip, realizing that Lucifer was still probably upset with himself over what happened. She thought about waiting to see him until morning…but realized that she couldn't wait that long.

"Are you sure? Because you're spacing out on me again."

Once again she blinked back to attention. "I'm sorry, it's just… Lucifer and I had a bit of a disagreement earlier, and…I'm only just realizing how unimportant it was."

She could tell that Dan had a comment ready for her, but chose not to say it. "Then call him or talk to him in the morning."

"No." She shook her head. "I need to see him. Now. I need to make things right. Could you watch Trixie?"

"Why? So you and your new sidekick can go have some make-up sex?"

"Dan!" She resisted the urge to slap him. "How many times do I have to tell you? Despite what you've heard about his reputation, there is _nothing_ going on between me and Lucifer. We work together on cases, and we may even be starting to become friends, but that's it. And I'd appreciate it if you stopped going on at me about this, OK?"

He didn't look happy, but he nodded. "Fine."

And so, Chloe left the house with a small, hopeful smile on her face. She had a Devil to see.

* * *

Lux was empty when she arrived; just closing up. She was let in anyway, and wondered if Lucifer had specifically told his bouncers to let her in no matter what. She wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

"Oh. It's you."

Chloe had been about to head down the stairs, but stopped and turned at the sound of the bartender's voice. _Who's actually a demon. Yeah, this is gonna take a long time to get used to_. "Mazikeen."

"I'm actually surprised you're here," she continued. "I mean, when most people see Lucifer's face, well…one more room gets filled in the asylum."

"I only saw his eyes. And I'm not most people."

"You can say that again." The demon stepped closer, and Chloe fought her instincts telling her to step back and away from the deity who had taken out an entire gang by herself. "His powers don't work on you, and that's a first."

She recalled Lucifer's confusion and bafflement earlier on, unable to understand why his hypnotic voodoo trick didn't work on her. She'd been surprised as well, since she saw it in action on everyone else. His determination to figure out why and to stay by her side certainly made sense.

"Do you have a point you're getting to?" Chloe asked, feeling braver.

"Yeah," said the demon. "Stay away from Lucifer. Ever since you came into his life, he's changed. He's showing restraint, compassion; he's helping humans when he shouldn't even care. And now he's even mortal. He can be hurt. And it's all because of you."

Chloe remembered his utter shock when she shot him and he bled. "So I'm to blame? Have you considered that he might be changing because he wants to?" She wondered if the bartender was part of the reason why Lucifer was considered evil; she seemed determined to prove that all his good qualities were "wrong".

"He was fine with who he was," said the demon. "But then you waltzed into his life, and now he's out playing cop. I thought that if I kept pestering him, maybe he'd eventually get bored up here and return to Hell. But now? There's no chance. He even burned his wings to make a statement about it to his brother."

 _Wait, what?_ Chloe blinked. "I'm sorry? His wings?"

"Yeah, the ones you saw. _Gone_." Mazikeen looked infuriated. "Sure hope you weren't coming to take another look at them. Now we'll never go back to Hell. Thanks for ruining everything."

Chloe stood staring at her in utter shock. _His beautiful wings…gone_. She couldn't comprehend why he would do such a thing. It was like the equivalent of her burning off her hair. "Why?" _And why do I feel like crying? They were his wings; his to do with whatever he pleases. Even if I don't understand why, it was his choice to make_.

Mazikeen nodded down the stairs towards where Lucifer was sat at his piano. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" And then she turned away, leaving Chloe to do nothing but follow her advice.

She walked down the stairs towards Lucifer; there was smoke drifting up from the ashtray by his side, and he was working his way through several shots. She would be worried about his alcohol intake if she didn't know he was a literal Fallen Angel. _Is it like the movies, where deities can't get drunk, or it takes a lot for them to get drunk? I'm going to be asking him a lot of questions_.

Upon reaching the bottom, music began to play softly over the speakers.

" _One AM…you're invited…"_

One half of Lucifer's face was covered in shadow, though when he heard Chloe approaching he turned into the light, revealing the bruise surrounding his eye. Chloe stepped forwards, so focussed on the minor injury that she almost missed the look of shock on his face – along with the slight awe hidden just beneath the surface.

 _He thought he'd never see me again_ , she realized. It gave her further proof that despite all the sexual innuendos and his determination to get her into bed, there was something more happening between them. The beginnings of a friendship.

Her eyes still focussed on the black eye, she asked, "What happened?"

For a moment, Lucifer frowned in confusion. "Hmm? Oh! Sorry, this, yes…" He gestured to his face before reaching for another shot. "Just a little, you know, squabble with my bro. Nothing serious."

"He wasn't happy that you burnt your wings."

He sighed. "So you're here about those." His gaze averted down at the piano keys in front of them, as if the wings were why she had come.

As if that would be the only reason she'd come to see him; just to see his wings.

 _Wow, for a guy who's so full of himself 24/7, he can be really insecure_. Though she supposed that men like him – who partied excessively and enjoyed lots of sex – usually were insecure about something, and used the parties and sex as a cover up.

She laid her purse on the piano before she sat down beside him on the stool, and he gave her a look of surprise. "I don't like how…we left things at Carmen's house."

He frowned, seemingly confused by her words. "Yes, you…definitely could have handled things better. And I suppose… You know, I… Sorry, what was I saying?"

Chloe couldn't help but laugh a little at his babbling. _He should consider only making apologies by letter. He does those so much better_. "No need to apologize. The letter was enough." She sighed and closed her eyes, letting the music wash over her.

" _Just let it out and take a breath… Hold it until there's nothing left… Look in my eyes…and breathe into me…"_

He stared at her, and she wondered if it was still sinking in that she was sat down next to him, not running nor avoiding him like he'd clearly expected her to. "I'm sorry, Detective, but…I was worried I'd never see you again. I thought I'd…scared you off for good."

"I can't imagine why," said Chloe, allowing the sarcasm in her voice to take over. "I mean, you only revealed yourself as the actual Biblical Devil and then proceeded to scare the crap out of me so badly that I actually _fainted_ for the first time in my life. That's not an easy feat, mister."

"I did say that I was sorry-"

"I know," she continued. "Look, I'm gonna be totally honest with you: I freaked. I freaked back at Carmen's house, as you saw, and then I freaked again when I woke up. I didn't really start to calm down until I read your letter, and then I started to think. I processed it all, but I couldn't answer the one burning question in my mind: _Is he the Lucifer I've heard about, or the Lucifer I know?_ I was stuck…but do you know who helped me answer my question? Dan."

Lucifer's eyebrow rose. "You mean Detective Douche was actually _helpful_ for once?"

"He didn't mean to be, but he gave me clarity," she explained. "He came over to talk to me; to tell me that he was glad I finally dropped the Palmetto case, and he was being all condescending about it. Like he was expecting me to admit with an open mind that I was wrong and that we could get back together, or something. But instead I realized something crazy: the freaking _Devil_ is a better partner on the force than my ex-husband."

"A chimpanzee would make a better partner on the force."

She laughed again. "I really mean it. You are, oddly enough. It reminded me that you never lied to me; you were always telling the truth, and you've always been who you say you are. But you also had my back and you always supported me, even when everyone else didn't – and even when I sometimes didn't believe in myself. You're not evil, Lucifer. You're not who everyone thinks you are. Being the Devil doesn't make a difference to me, because you're still _you_. Nothing has to change between us now that I know."

"Detective, I…" The awe in his eyes came close to making her blush, and she wondered if she was the first human to discover his identity and _not_ run from him.

It made her realize something. "You tell everyone you're the Devil, and yet you never prove it to them. Not unless they're a criminal."

"Only the truly terrible deserve to see my true face."

"You don't want people to find out…because you don't want to be on your own." He opened his mouth, but she continued before he could say anything. "It's OK. I know how much it sucks being alone."

He didn't protest. "Well…at least you're not going crazy over losing the wings. Carmen almost killed himself when I took them away from him."

She tried not to think about that, and instead asked, "Why burn them? I mean, they're yours and you can do what you want with them, but…they were part of you. They were so beautiful, and…not only did you cut them off, but you burned them."

"They were a relic of a bygone age," he explained. "I've moved on to bigger and better things, and burning my wings made that statement loud and clear. Simply cutting them off was only a half measure. I left myself an 'out'. But now I've told everyone that this is where I want to be, and no one is going to change that. Amenadiel didn't take it well, as you can see." He once again gestured to the black eye.

Chloe nodded, not taking her eyes off him. "That's…a lot to take in. I'm fine with all this, and all, but some parts…are gonna take a while to wrap my head around. So…try to be patient with me, OK?"

"Absolutely," he said. "I'm just glad that you're actually giving me a chance instead of running."

"Why would I run?" she said with a smile, making an attempt to lighten the mood. "I have so many questions for you. Ever heard of _Interview with a Vampire_?"

He smirked. "Call up Anne Rice. We can have her write a sequel: _Interview with the Devil_." He playfully bumped her shoulder. "And how come I'm not surprised by this, you nosy little minx?"

She laughed again, before sighing. "I guess I should get the most important question out there first: I don't go to church, so am I going to Hell?"

"Of course not!" Lucifer replied. "Someone like you, ending up in a place like Hell? I'd never stand for it. And Dad wouldn't, either. No, that whole 'if you don't believe, you're going to Hell' rot was made up by some of the more… _extreme_ believers, in order to scare people into joining the church." He picked up two more shot glasses and handed one to her. "No, as judgemental as my Father can be, he loves you humans far too much to make petty judgements like that."

They clinked their glasses together and drank. When Lucifer went to pour her another, Chloe held up her hand. "Just the one, thanks. I need to drive back home."

"Shame. You'll probably need a good drink after everything I tell you."

"Then I'll crack open a bottle at home," she said. "So…is anything about science true? How the Earth was formed, the creation of the universe…"

"Well, it took six days to create the Earth, but that was six days in Heaven. It was much longer here," Lucifer replied. "But it's like Arthur C. Clark once said: Magic is just science we don't understand yet. Well, actually it's the other way around; your scientific explanations are humans just rationalizing things that my Dad did. Or Mum _and_ Dad in relation to the Big Bang."

"The Big Bang?"

"Yes, of course. My parents met, they fell in love, but since they were celestial beings the consummation of their love-"

"I…don't need to hear any more about that." _So existence…exists because Lucifer's parents had sex. Maybe I can have another drink, after all…_

"Of course you don't," said Lucifer. "Can't say I'm surprised. I highly doubt Detective Douche inspired that amount of passion in the bedroom."

"Lucifer."

"Did you take an oath of celibacy just so you didn't have to have sex with him?"

"Lucifer."

"Because that would explain why you won't have sex with me. It's the only reasonable explanation I can think of."

"Lucifer!" Third time was a charm, and she finally managed to get him to stop talking. Which was a relief; she really didn't want to touch on the fact that the _Devil_ wanted to have sex with her, even if he was her friend. "We're talking about you, not about me."

"Right." He was stalling. She got the feeling that they were entering a difficult topic for him to talk about, but she kept quiet and let him carry on in his own time. "After my parents tied the spiritual knot, so to speak, they built a home and called it Heaven. And then they filled it with their children: the Angels."

"You and your siblings."

He nodded. "I have many. Eighteen, to be exact."

Her eyebrows rose. "Eighteen? Seriously?"

"Sounds like a lot to your human mind, but it's actually a small number by celestial being standards," Lucifer explained. "The First Born was Amenadiel. I don't think he's even mentioned in the Bible, which I've never let him forget." He smirked. "Those who know of him refer to him as the Angel of Time. He can slow time down whenever he appears so he can go unnoticed. He's also been known to perform blessings, but most Angels can."

"Can you?"

He shook his head. "Not anymore. Devil, remember?" He sighed. "I came next, along with my twin brother, Michael."

"You're a twin?"

"Fraternal, thankfully. Michael's younger than me; the warrior. Loves waving his sword around – and he has a nice shiny blade, too." Chloe rolled her eyes at the dick joke. "He's the Protector of Heaven, and the one who nearly killed me when I rebelled."

 _Killed him? His own brother nearly killed him?_ "He's your brother. Why would he want to kill you?"

"Brotherhood means nothing when it comes to going against our Father. They all hated me for questioning Him." He sighed again. "After us came Phanuel, the Angel of Hope and Repentance. He's not so bad. Then there's the next set of twins; the eldest sisters, Jophiel and Tzaphqiel. Identical twins."

"Sisters? I thought Angels were only male?" Chloe asked.

"Yes, that's down to one human flaw which you'll be very familiar with, Detective: Sexism. Why else do you think my mum was written out of most versions of the Bible?" Chloe shrugged in agreement. "Jophiel – or Dina, as we call her – is the Angel of Wisdom while Tzaphqiel is the Angel of Knowledge. Wherever one is, the other isn't very far away. After them came Gabriel, who you'll know as the Messenger. He has an ego the size of Jupiter."

"While yours is just the size of the sun."

The Devil chuckled. "Then there's the third set of twins; brother and sister, Raguel and Zadkiel. Old Rag is the Angel of Justice, Vengeance, Fairness and Redemption. Has a liking for police officers. He'll like you. Meanwhile Zad is the Angel of Mercy and Forgiveness. You know there's something big at work when you see them working together."

"Redemption and forgiveness go hand in hand," said Chloe.

Lucifer nodded, and there was a distant look in his eyes for a moment, but it was gone too quickly. He was talking again before Chloe could ask about it. "After them there's my ever so peachy sister, Azrael. The Angel of Death."

"The Angel of Death is a chick?"

"Why is everyone always so surprised by that?" Lucifer shook his head. "And when I say 'peachy' I mean that in the most sarcastic way possible."

Chloe shrugged. "I can't imagine the Angel of Death being a pleasant person to be around."

"She's what you people would call a goth," said Lucifer. "And is probably the only Angel would wouldn't mind taking over my job as the Ruler of Hell. Father only knows why he put Amenadiel in charge instead of her. But regardless, after her came Raphael, the Healer. Cares a lot, but ironically has a terrible bedside manner."

"Some doctors are like that, but can still be good doctors. Ever seen _Star Trek_?"

"I've seen _everything_ , Detective."

She could believe that. He'd lived for as long as the universe, after all. She took in a deep breath as it sunk in just how old and _ancient_ he was. "Sorry, I'm…still wrapping my head around some parts…"

"Quite understandable, Detective," he said. "Would you like me to stop?"

"No." She shook her head. "You still have some more siblings to go."

He smiled. "After Raph came Jegudiel, the Angel of Hard Work and Rewards. After him came Haniel, the Angel of Love, and after her came Barachiel, the Guardian Angel. Most often found sitting on people's shoulders and guiding them through hardships. But only those who Dad deems need the help…"

"So, what? Your Father chooses to help some people but ignores others?" Chloe wasn't sure that she liked God all that much.

"It's all to do with free will and having a plan." Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Saying that God has a plan is just an excuse for all the bad things that happen, because honestly He doesn't have any idea what He's doing."

"Comforting."

"Hmm." Lucifer picked up another shot and downed it in seconds. "Our sister Raziel was next. The Angel of Secrets and Mysteries – but ironically one hell of a party animal. I keep getting nightmares about finding her dancing in Lux one night."

" _That_ would be a sight to see."

"Trust me, it wouldn't," he said. "After her came another sister; Selaphiel. The Angel of Prayer, though she can also interpret dreams rather well. Then there's the last set of twins, Ariel and Uriel. Ariel is an Angel of the Elements; controls the weather, and has an almost earth-shattering temper. Though she's fiercely protective over her twin brother, Uriel. The Angel of Patterns and the Future. He can watch the patterns of life and use them to predict what comes next; people's actions and reactions. To put things into perspective, he can make a butterfly flap its wings in Brazil, and the end result is a house wife in New Jersey getting chlamydia."

Chloe's eyebrows rose. "That's…actually kinda scary."

"Yes." Lucifer downed another shot, and Chloe could tell that talking about his family was beginning to take its toll on him. But there was one sibling left, and she hoped he didn't stop. The more she heard about him and his world, the more she wanted to know – and not just to feed her curiosity.

She wanted to know more about _him_ , as his friend. "Who was the last?"

"Our youngest sister, Cassiel," Lucifer replied. "The Angel of Tears and Solitude. She's rather lovely, all things considered. Probably the only one of my siblings who doesn't hate me – though she could never hate anything, so that's not saying much." He downed his last shot. "Hopefully Amenadiel will be the only one you meet. None of my brothers and sisters seem all that willing to come visit."

Chloe sighed. She didn't really want to ask the next question, but… "So…what happened?"

Lucifer was silent for almost a minute before he answered. "What happened is the age-old story, Detective. Dad started going into the garage and tinkering with a little project he liked to call 'humanity'. Mum grew cold and distant. They both neglected their family…so one of their children decided to act out. Typical teenage rebellion, if you will. Dad got pissed, tossed me out of the house, and that's how I ended up running Hell."

"Wait…" Chloe couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "Your Dad kicked you out of Heaven…over a so-called "teenage rebellion"? That's horrible. Were you really still a teenager when that happened?"

"No, that was just the best description I could come up with."

"It's still horrible. I can't believe your Dad would do that."

Lucifer's eyebrow rose. "You do realize that you're talking about _God_ , right? He who can smite you down with lightening if he pleases?"

"Yeah, well, in case you haven't noticed, I only respect my elders if they're deserving of that respect," said Chloe.

Lucifer smirked. "I knew we had something else in common, Detective. Are you certain that you-?"

"Still a 'no' on the sex."

"I'll wear you down one day. You mark my words."

Chloe smiled. _I don't know why I was worried. Nothing's changed at all_.


	3. Chapter Three: Hellbent

**AN: A big thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed so far! This chapter includes some lyrics from the song "Monster You Made" by Pop Evil.**

* * *

"Heaven didn't want him, and Hell couldn't keep him."

"You have no idea."

Chloe would be lying if she said that the words didn't affect her. And Malcolm's wink…

It was most likely to do with the case, she tried to reason; maybe Malcolm letting her know that he remembered seeing her there, right before the shootout. That was the logical explanation and there was no need to overthink it.

But overthink it she did, because that was what she always did. The mention of Heaven and Hell, along with Malcolm's almost knowing response to his partner's words, had Chloe searching for a hidden meaning. They said that Malcolm had been dead for thirty seconds when the plug was pulled; it was more than just possible that he had gone somewhere, Heaven if he was innocent or Hell if he'd been on the take.

With that in mind, she had the feeling that Malcolm – despite how impossible it sounded – somehow knew about Lucifer. And he was letting her, the only person who knew her friend's true identity, know that.

But that was ridiculous. Even if he _had_ been in Hell, Lucifer was on Earth, so there was no way Malcolm would have seen him. Not to mention that nothing down there would have given him any indication that Chloe knew.

It was too big a leap, and Chloe told herself that her thoughts were the aftereffect of discovering only two days before that her partner and growing best friend was the Devil himself. A small part of her was still trying to wrap her head around the impossibility of it, but she wasn't afraid. Curious, if anything.

She'd wanted to stay for his "birthday" party. She really had. But the department gathering had to take precedence for the sake of her case; if she was going to conduct it without anyone else knowing, she needed to act like everything was normal. Being the only one not attending would arouse suspicion.

Though looking around her at everyone else, she wasn't sure why she bothered. They all kept glancing in her direction, and she knew it wasn't because of the irony of it all; the one officer who thought Malcolm was corrupt was attending his welcome back party.

Even after her speech at the wake, it was like everyone had made the assumption that she only closed the case because he was dying, and was doing so for the benefit of his family. But since he was back, alive and kicking…

They thought it was a matter of _when_ she re-opened the case, not if. It didn't make Chloe angry since, well, she'd only officially closed the case while she continued to work on it in secret, but it did make the entire situation awkward for her.

She could think of many places she'd rather be – but only one stuck out.

With a sigh, she finished her last drink, grabbed her purse and hopped down from the stool. Dan, who was sat nearby chatting with one of his friends, noticed and sent her a questioning look. "Going somewhere?"

"I'm…gonna head home," she lied. "This is just… It's too awkward. I need a breather."

For once he was actually understanding. "I get it, Chloe. It's fine. Want me to drive you home?"

"No, there's no need for you to leave," she told him. "I'll call a cab."

"Sure. See you tomorrow."

When the cab arrived and Chloe climbed in, she made sure Dan – who had decided to wait with her – was back inside before she turned to the driver and said, "Lux, please. It's a nightclub."

On the way over, she debated what she was going to say to Lucifer. She hadn't told him about Malcolm waking up; hadn't had the chance to. The entire department had been busy over the past two days, what with Malcolm's miraculous recovery, and the only time they'd spoken had been over the phone when Lucifer had invited her to his "birthday" party.

"The Devil has a birthday?" she'd asked with a laugh.

" _It's my re-birthday party. I feel reborn after the I burnt my wings. It's my re-birthday party!_ "

Since Dan had been hovering nearby, pretending not to listen but obviously listening, she hadn't said anything about Malcolm; reasoned that she could talk about it with him at the party. But then Malcom's party was arranged for the same night, and she'd been forced to choose.

 _I chose wrong_. She hoped Lucifer wasn't too upset; he'd seemed dejected when she left earlier.

She also hoped that he hadn't decided to drown his sorrows in a woman. Or several.

The cab pulled up outside the club, and Chloe paid the driver before climbing out. One of the bouncers noticed her, and with an immediate, "Right this way, Ms. Decker," she was let inside without fuss. If they wondered why she was there a second time that night – and without Dan the second go around – they didn't comment.

Nothing had changed inside the club; people were still drinking and dancing, and everyone was still dressed up as angels. And yet, something felt…off. Chloe couldn't put her finger on it.

Until she scanned the club and realized that Lucifer was nowhere to be found.

"He's upstairs."

Chloe turned to the bartender and ignored the demon's glare. "Why? The party's down here." _Shit, he really has got women up there. Maybe I should go home…_

"Yeah, well after you and your "date" left, he wasn't in the partying mood anymore," the demon explained. "So he headed up, alone. You sure seem to bring out the stupid human emotions in him. It's disgusting."

With a pang of guilt, Chloe gave the demon a quick 'thanks' before hurrying over to the elevator. Only when she was inside and on the way up did it hit her that, only two days after she'd discovered his true identity – something he'd feared that she'd run from – she'd skipped out on his party to attend some other gathering she hadn't even wanted to go to in the first place.

And since Lucifer was one to jump to conclusions pretty damn quick…

Determined to set things straight – assure him that who he was really didn't bother her, and the department thing was something she had to do for the sake of her case – she wasted no time in stepping out of the elevator once it arrived at his penthouse.

But she stopped dead when the keys of his piano and his angelic voice graced her ears.

" _I've stopped believing that I could ever make things change…_ "

She'd heard him play the piano before; seen the way his fingers danced across the keys so naturally that it was almost as if the piano itself was part of him. At the behest of her mother, she'd taken piano lessons for three years as a child but had never reached the levels of talent as Lucifer – though him having an eternity to learn definitely put him at an advantage over her.

His elegance with the instrument was enchanting, and it only furthered her resolve that no, the Devil wasn't evil, could never be evil, and anyone who thought so deserved a good ear-boxing.

"' _Cause who I am isn't who I used to be. I'm not invincible, I'm not indestructible, I'm only human. Can't you see the beauty in me?_ "

But his voice… That took enchantment to a whole new level.

While she'd heard his talents on the piano, she'd never heard him sing before. Never had the opportunity to, really. She hadn't frequented his club often enough before, what with actively trying to avoid him so she didn't encourage him to follow her around, and after he became her partner… There wasn't really a need to, since he was the one coming to her most of the time.

She told herself that she would have to visit him more often. Just to hear him sing.

Because he had the voice of an angel – pun completely and utterly intended.

" _Take a good look at me now. Can't you see I've changed? Erase this monster I've become. Forgive me for all the damage done. It's not over, say it's not over. I'm begging for mercy. I'm only the monster you made me._ "

Listening to the lyrics, Chloe felt her heart go out to him. She couldn't even begin to imagine what he'd been through; getting thrown out of his home, shunned by his family, damned to a place of eternal torment, considered a monster by humanity and blamed for all of their faults…

Maybe that was why accepting him was easier than she'd thought it would be. The instinct to care, help those who needed it, was engraved into her. If someone needed help, she would help them – even if helping them meant simply being their friend.

And Lucifer needed a friend.

" _Far away, through the pain, I see the Angels calling. Far away, through the pain, I see the Demons falling…_ "

Chloe waited until the song was finished before she approached. Her footsteps alerted him to her presence, and he picked up his drink from the top of the piano before turning to her.

His eyes widened a little in surprise. "Oh. Detective." He frowned. "I thought you had a department…thing to go to? With Detective Douche?"

"Yeah, well…" She crossed the remaining distance between them and sat down next to him on the piano stool. It was wide enough to fit them both, but not without their shoulders touching. She didn't mind. "It was getting kinda awkward. And honestly, I never actually wanted to go, but…"

"So why did you?" he asked as he poured her a drink.

She remembered that she hadn't told him about Malcolm yet. "You know that case we were working on two days ago, on Palmetto Street?" He nodded while she accepted the drink from him. "I said that I had to solve the case quickly because the plug was being pulled on Malcolm, the sop who was shot. But instead of dying that night, he woke up instead. It was his welcome back party tonight, and I felt like I needed to go because…"

"Because you being the only one not there would arouse suspicion, especially since you were the one so against him before." Lucifer looked understanding. "You didn't want them thinking that you're still investigating."

"Yeah," she agreed. "But they kept giving me these looks anyway. I think they expect me to re-open the case, now that Malcolm isn't dead."

"But they have no idea that you're still investigating."

"And I'd like to keep it that way," said Chloe. "It's why I haven't investigated the key yet." She didn't tell him her second reason for not investigating the key: that she was afraid that it _would_ turn out to be Dan's. "I'll probably wait a while until everything dies down again."

Lucifer nodded in agreement. "So what does this Malcolm say happened at Palmetto?"

"No one's entitled to question him since the case is closed," Chloe replied. "And he's been too busy in recovery to say anything. Everyone's under the impression that he doesn't remember much, but… I might confront him, once I know he's healthy. I'll have to be careful, though." She sighed. "But enough about Palmetto. I got away from _The Paddock_ because I was tired of hearing about it. I'm sorry I skipped out on your party. I actually regret it now; it sounds like fun down there."

"No, no, I can understand why you would." Lucifer smiled. "All is forgiven, knowing that you regret leaving me. Alone. To galivant off with Detective Douche."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Stop it. Dan's back at _The Paddock_ , and I'm here with you. Why don't we head back down and enjoy ourselves? It's your party, after all."

Lucifer grinned, but then he frowned like a thought had just occurred to him – one that puzzled him. "Actually…I don't feel like it. Sitting here with just you is strangely far more compelling than going back down there. Is that normal? Am I unwell?"

She had to laugh at his lack of understanding. It was just so _adorable_. (And she was once again using that word to describe the Devil. She really was going insane.) "No, that's perfectly natural. Spending time alone with someone you like can be far more fulfilling than being surrounded by strangers. I prefer it, anyway."

The Devil gave her an actual, genuine smile; they were so rare that she wanted to take out her phone and snap a picture of it. "If it's what you prefer and what I feel compelled to do, then stay up here we shall. And if you want to do more than just sit here, maybe take things into the bedroom…"

She laughed again. _He never quits_. "I'll pass, but thanks. It's nice to celebrate a birthday without being surrounded by loads of people. Even though it's not your actual birthday-"

"Is this not the first birthday party you've attended recently?" he correctly deduced.

"It was Trixie's birthday last week," she explained. "She turned eight."

"And how come nobody told me? I would've come. I love parties!"

"Do you love parties filled with sugar high, screaming seven-to-eight year olds running around?"

His face fell. "On second thought, I'm glad I missed it." There was a look of horror on his face, and Chloe could picture what he was imagining: twenty or so kids all running to hug him like Trixie usually did.

It almost made her laugh again.

"Trixie was upset you didn't come," she admitted. "But Dan flat out said 'no'. He really has it in for you."

"He's obviously jealous of my devilishly good looks. Can't compete, and he knows it."

She bumped his shoulder. "Keep telling yourself that."

* * *

Lucifer drove her home, despite her insistence that she was quite capable of calling another cab.

"Have you seen how much they overcharge in this city? And they call _me_ the Devil!" he'd protested. "Why pay another smelly cab driver to drive you around when _this_ handsome Devil is offering to drive you instead?"

So she relented. Their conversation continued, and Chloe was almost sad for it to end as they pulled up outside her mom's house. But she needed to get back to Trixie and send Julia home, and so, the night had to end.

She was surprised when Lucifer immediately climbed out of the car. "What are you doing?" she asked, climbing out after him.

"Walking you up to the door," he said, as if it was obvious. "Isn't that what gentlemen do?"

"Since when is the Devil a gentleman?" she asked with a slight grin.

He chuckled as they walked up to the front door. "Since a certain nosy detective waltzed into my life, who makes me want to be a better person." They paused in front of the door, and he frowned. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Kinda did." She was smiling all the same. Of course she'd noticed the change in him; over the weeks she'd known him, he'd allowed her to see more than the charming asshole show he put on for everyone else.

"Kiss goodnight, Detective?"

She rolled her eyes. "Nice try. Goodnight, Lucifer." He turned to walk back to his car, while she opened the door and stepped inside. "Hey, Julia, I'm-" She cut herself off when she turned, because it wasn't Julia who greeted her.

"Chloe."

Her eyes widened. "Dan? What are you doing here? Where's Julia?"

"I sent her home." His gaze turned briefly to the door before returning to her. "I think the better question is: Why were you at Lux with Lucifer when you said you were coming home?"

"I…changed my mind," she found herself lying. But then she straightened up and added, "And it's _so_ none of your business where I spend my time, and with who."

He sighed. "Look, I understand why you left _The Paddock_ tonight. I do. But why are you spending time with that idiot outside of work? I mean, it's bad enough seeing him during working hours, but-"

" _Bad enough_?" she repeated, unable to believe what she was hearing. "He helps me. He lets me see things differently. And yeah, he may be annoying, but he makes a good partner. He supports me. He's not Team "Everyone Else" – unlike a certain someone standing in this room who won't be named."

Dan rolled his eyes. "Having the support of a lunatic isn't exactly great support. You probably went to him to talk about Palmetto and Malcolm. Are the two of you planning on re-opening the case?"

"You are _unbelievable_!"

"Well, what else am I supposed to think? Things get awkward with Malcolm, you leave saying that you're heading home, but instead you go straight to your sidekick."

"Who I trust way more than you right now," Chloe told him in a dangerous tone. "And you better think long and hard about what comes out of your mouth next, Daniel Espinoza, because if they're more judgemental or condescending remarks, I'll be punching the words right back in."

"Mommy?"

Chloe turned and saw Trixie standing in her bedroom doorway, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Baby, you should be in bed."

"I was," said the little girl. "But I heard you and Daddy fighting…"

 _Damn_. Chloe sighed. She wanted to blame it all on Dan, but knew that she had been raising her voice, as well. She turned back to her ex and said, "Please go."

Dan just nodded, obviously guilty as well that their fighting had woken up their daughter, and silently let himself out.

"Why does Daddy hate Lucifer so much?" asked Trixie.

Chloe didn't answer, instead thinking back to Lucifer's words from earlier.

* * *

Chloe really was grateful that things hadn't changed between her and Lucifer – but a part of her wished he'd drop the annoyances for just _one minute_ so they could actually solve the case.

 _And this time it's the worst kind of annoyance: he's obsessed with something about me_. And he just _had_ to choose her love life, which was a touchy subject for her – mainly because she wasn't entirely sure what was happening with it.

There was a six-month waiting period between filing for a divorce and actually making the divorce final. She supposed it was a kind of "out" for couples; a chance for them to decide if they really wanted to go through with the separation. After her initial anger at Dan had faded slightly, her mother had convinced her that maybe she should give him a chance and see if things could be fixed between them. For a while she hadn't thought so, despite having a long talk with him about it, as his behaviour hadn't improved.

 _Until recently_. It began with Tacho Tuesday, and after that he actually made time for her and Trixie; putting them first instead of his job. Though it seemed to be more for Trixie's benefit rather than hers. As their more recently arguments proved, there was still a number of bumps between them, and she wondered if those bumps could ever be straightened out.

A part of her wanted to make things work with him – but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that her reasons why were for Trixie's benefit, not her own.

 _Maybe things really are dead in the water with him_ , she couldn't help but think as she drove herself and Lucifer back to Lux. She wanted Dan to be there for Trixie; didn't want her daughter growing up without her father around. But would staying married to Dan really help with that? Was lying to their daughter – and to themselves – really a good lesson to teach her?

And she would be lying. She loved Dan, probably always would – but she didn't think she was _in_ love with him anymore. And that made all the difference.

"Something on your mind, Detective?"

Chloe sent Lucifer a quick glance before returning her gaze to the road. She didn't want to talk about it with him; he'd just use it as fuel to add to whatever fire he was burning, a fire that was focussed on burning away at the topic of her love life. And yet, he was the only person she could talk to, and he _did_ promise to always be honest with her.

The fact that he _was_ always honest was why she needed to ask. "Is it better to tell the truth even if it hurts?"

That was the choice, in the end: stay together for Trixie's benefit and lie to her, or tell her the truth and make the separation final. The latter would break Trixie's heart…but she feared that the former would hurt more in the long run, and not just Trixie.

"Well, you know me, Detective," said Lucifer. "I always tell the truth. I know Dad isn't particularly fond of liars, but a few small lies won't send you to Hell on their own. And you know what they say: the truth will set you free. With that in mind, what kind of truth were you thinking of letting out, Detective? Do you secretly agree with me that your ex really is a douche and you regret ever marrying him?"

She rolled her eyes. _Of course_. "I don't know why I bothered asking you."

"Come on, pretend I'm your therapist since you don't have one. Or I can get the good doctor to talk with you about it-"

"Lucifer!"

"What? I'm trying to help."

"And doing an _amazingly_ bad job."

"Well, _you_ asked for my advice. Don't be angry if you don't like it." But then he sighed, and to her surprise went on. "I assume you're considering telling a lie in order to hurt someone close to you. Your offspring, I presume. But a white lie can actually do more damage than telling the truth. For starters, there's your own discomfort to think about."

"I'm not thinking about myself," Chloe explained. "I'm thinking about Trixie. She was upset that Dan and I split up in the first place, and I think she's holding out hope that we might get back together. I don't want to hurt her anymore."

"But in staying with someone with whom you don't get along with, you're hurting yourself," said Lucifer. "And the spawn is a clever little thing; she'll realize that you're uncomfortable and then she'll be upset that you are. So in lying you'll be making yourself uncomfortable, which will make her uncomfortable, and eventually she'll realize that you're lying to her. And how would she feel about that?"

 _Damn, he has a point_. "So you're saying that it's better to make it a clean break now, rather than letting things build up and having it hurt her later?"

"She's your daughter. You need to do what's best for her," he said.

She allowed her head to tilt slightly to the side. "And this has nothing to do with your own feelings on the matter?"

"While I admit that I'm not Dan's number one fan, you asked for my advice, and I'm giving it to you. I promised that I would never to lie to you, Detective, and I'm not. Telling the truth is always the best way to go about things. I told our friend Richard the truth back there; told him his life was incredibly bleak, and that seemed to do the trick."

Chloe tried not to think about Richard's suicide attempt. Sure, Lucifer had somehow convinced the man to come down – but not before grabbing his shirt when he almost fell, holding him over the edge and even letting go for a brief second. _And how did he even get up there so fast?_

"Can you teleport?"

He chuckled. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know, Detective."

* * *

Chloe had no idea how Malcolm managed to lie to Dispatch about Dan's phone, but really, that wasn't her biggest concern.

Malcolm knew she was still looking into Palmetto. _That was what the wink was about_. She wasn't sure how he knew; maybe guessed she was, since he'd seen her there. He was looking into it too, he told her, and had figured out what she had: that another cop had shot him.

She had to admit that things added up; Malcolm claimed he was buying information from Audi on a dirty cop, and she had heard rumours that Audi had been used as a CI before. Malcolm also hadn't reacted when he'd seen her. And it would make sense for that same dirty cop to shoot them both. But something didn't feel right; it conveniently tied up all the loose ends almost too well.

Yet another worry added to her plate when Malcolm seemed to imply his suspicion of her; like he was wondering if _she_ had shot him.

His reminder that he'd been dead made her think back to what she'd thought before, back at the party, but she didn't ponder things for long. He warned her away from the case, claiming he wasn't gonna dig any deeper. She couldn't decide if it was a warning or a threat.

Either way, it was something she had to talk with Lucifer about, once they managed to solve their current case – and once he stopped getting jealous of Dan.

They found Alexandra and a car full of horse poop (she _really_ didn't want to think any more about _that_ ), and to Chloe's surprise Dan pulled up. She couldn't understand why he would be there until she saw his concerned face hiding rage and reasoned that he must have found out about Malcolm's surprise visit. She excused herself, ignoring Lucifer's protests, and crossed the parking lot to meet him.

"Funny story I heard from Dispatch," he said when she reached him. "Apparently, my phone died and I asked you to meet me at the house."

"It was Malcolm," Chloe explained. "He tricked me into meeting him. Said he had to talk to me when no one was listening."

She noticed the rage take the forefront, but he held it back. "You OK? Did Malcolm hurt you?"

"No. It's fine," she assured him. "Everything's fine." _Except for the fact that I'm no closer to figuring out who the dirty cop is; Malcolm or the one who shot him. And if it's Malcolm, then he's definitely onto me_.

Dan's fist clenched and he looked everywhere except at her. "I'm gonna punch that son of a bitch right back into a coma!"

"Oh, come on, Dan! He just wanted to talk about Palmetto." Chloe was careful to choose her words. "Since I was there, he was hoping that I might have seen something he missed. He wanted to know who shot him."

There was a strange look on Dan's face when his gaze finally settled back on her. "What else did he tell you?"

"Nothing," she replied. "What happened at Palmetto is a complete puzzle to both of us. And he said that he's not gonna dig any deeper; doesn't want to get himself killed. Neither of us are re-opening the case again." _Because it was never closed to begin with_.

Her ex nodded. "That's probably for the best. But…please try not to talk to Malcolm about it again. Thinking about that case isn't good for either of you."

He was trying to hide it, but Chloe caught his condescending tone. "I can talk to whoever I want, whenever I want. You don't run my life, Dan."

Dan rolled his eyes. "Chloe, you said I needed to put in some effort-"

"To spend time with us," she cut him off. "That doesn't mean you have the right to decide who I talk to, or who my friends are."

"So Lucifer's your friend now?"

"He's a better friend than _you_." She crossed her arms. "Whatever grudge you have against Lucifer needs to stop, right now. He's in my life, helping me on cases, whether you like it or not."

"I just think he's gonna hurt you one day. He's not good for you, Chloe."

"Yeah, well, big shocker: I'm the only one who gets to decide that." _What is it with the men in my life?_

* * *

"He's grown quite a bit since working with you."

Linda was right. The Lucifer who Chloe first met all those weeks ago, sat at his piano and asking casually if they'd had sex before, was different compared to the Lucifer sat on the hood of her car, watching with a thoughtful expression as Jonathan was led away in handcuffs by another officer.

She knew that Linda had to take some credit, as well. The doctor wasn't who Chloe had been expecting; instead of a teenage girl in an older woman's body trying to jump Lucifer's bones every second, she was a pretty damn good therapist who was actually equally as good at crime-solving as herself and Lucifer. Chloe set a mental reminder to add Linda to the department's list of consultants.

But Linda's words rang true. For some reason that Chloe couldn't begin to explain, her place in Lucifer's life seemed to be helping him. Linda had said so, Mazikeen had mentioned that she brought out his emotions ( _inconvenient_ emotions, Lucifer had named them), and even Lucifer himself had let it slip the night before.

It made her a lot less angry about the jealousy thing. _I doubt he's had many friends before me; he likes working with me, and he thought Dan was going to ruin that_. Even so, she was glad he was over it, having hashed it out with Jonathan.

" _The woman that you loved was with someone else; someone you thought wasn't worthy of her. But no matter what you did…she never saw you the way you wanted her to."_

 _But Lucifer's not in love with me_. Still, it was the same principle, and Lucifer _did_ say that his and Jonathan's situations were nothing alike.

"You didn't see any similarity between yourself and Jonathan?" she found herself asking.

"You heard some of that, did you?"

"Tail end."

He sighed, the thoughtful look still on his face. She supposed that was why she asked; because he looked uncertain about it. "I don't know. Did you?"

She shook her head. "No. Completely different."

"That's what I thought."

For a moment, she considered bringing up the one vital difference – the whole "love" part – but then thought better of it. "Jonathan was unstable. He killed out of his jealousy. But you… I know you'd never kill Dan."

He scoffed. "I couldn't, even if I wanted to. Angels aren't allowed to kill humans. It's one of Dad's rules I actually abide by."

"I thought you were the Devil?"

"Oh, I am, but that's just a title, more or less," he explained. "And even though I fell, I'm still an Angel at the core. Just not the halo-glowy version you're no doubt familiar with."

She shrugged. "Those kinds of Angels sound boring. You're much more fun."

The Devil smirked. "Well, well, Detective. I never knew you cared so much. Naughty little minx, aren't you?"

"We were having a nice moment, Lucifer. Please don't ruin it."

He chuckled, but obliged. "So, how's our secret case going?"

"Secretly terrible," Chloe replied. "Do you remember when I left earlier today to meet Dan because his phone died?"

"You mean when you abandoned me and Doctor Linda in favour of your douche-y ex?"

She rolled her eyes. "It wasn't Dan I met with. It was Malcolm. He tricked me into meeting with him alone."

A protective glint flickered in Lucifer's eyes, but unlike Dan, it didn't feel condescending. It was actually rather sweet. "Seeing as you're still up and about, I can be relieved to know that he didn't hurt you."

"He just wanted to talk," she explained. "He claims he's innocent; states that he was buying information from Audi about a dirty cop in the department, and thinks that the cop found out and shot him. It would add up, but something doesn't feel right."

"Gift-wrapped too nicely for you with a pretty little bow?" She nodded. "I agree, but at least the motive adds up. The officer wouldn't want to be ratted out for being dirty, so it would make sense for him to follow Malcolm and kill him."

 _Follow Malcolm…and there's why it doesn't add up_. "Wait… Whoever shot him knew about Palmetto – but Malcolm said that no one should have known he was there."

"Well, _you_ found him there."

"Yeah." She nodded again. "He pointed that out, too." _Does he think I shot him?_ She'd been cleared of that suspicion early on, but if Malcolm was secretly investigating like she was and thought that… "Whoever followed him could've done what I did."

"So how did you track him?"

"Partners on the Force share GPS locaters in their gear so that they can find each other in emergencies," she answered.

He grinned in response. "You hacked his partner's locator."

 _Yeah, so someone else could have done the same…unless…_ She mentally slapped herself for not thinking of it before. "Which means…Malcolm's partner knew he was there, too. Tony Paolucci knew."

Lucifer's smile dropped before rising again in an entirely different way, and that was all she needed to know about his thoughts on the matter. They were going to investigate, and no doubt her partner would have a few choice words for the man who had spent the past few months spewing hate at her.

The same man who either knew more than he was letting on, or worse, was the dirty cop himself.

Chloe once again hacked the GPS signal – ignoring Lucifer's smirk and muttered words of "You naughty girl" – though when she saw where Paolucci was, she wondered if there had been a need to. He was at _The Paddock_ , his most frequent hang-out.

She half-wondered why he would be there so late on the drive over, but didn't think too hard about it. Her thoughts were more focussed on the possibilities of the discovery. The best-case scenario was that Paolucci had been working with Malcolm; trying to discover the identity of the dirty cop together, and he just hadn't said anything in order to protect them both from the cop in question. But the worst-case scenario was that he _was_ the dirty cop, and Malcolm hadn't known.

But worse than that was the possibility that they were _both_ dirty, and Paolucci was covering for his fellow scumbag. He _had_ been the most vocal of them all to oppose her investigation. _What if it hadn't been a guy sticking up for his partner, and instead a dirty cop trying to cover his tracks?_

And the only reason he hadn't killed her was because it would look too suspicious.

They arrived and found that the bar was closed. And yet, Paolucci's car was parked on the other side of the road. She wondered if the owner had let him stay for a while…

The door opened, and Chloe sent Lucifer a disbelieving look. "You _have_ to stop doing that!" _I'll add magic lock-picking abilities to his list of super-powers I'm now having to keep track of_.

"It was unlocked!" he protested.

 _He doesn't lie. If the bar's closed, why would the door be unlocked?_ Chloe took out her flashlight and gun before entering first, and Lucifer followed behind her.

"Paolucci, you in here?" she called out. There was no reply. The beam from her flashlight hit a number of glasses, and she paused when she noticed them stained red. She knew immediately that it wasn't wine; wasn't the right colour, and the stains were splattered. Like someone had…

She noticed a head shape in front of the TV screen that had been left on. She turned her flashlight towards the figure, the light only hitting his lower half. Realizing it was Paolucci, Chloe quickly walked towards him.

But she froze when the light revealed what had happened.

There was a rifle leaning against him, pointing up. Blood surrounded his mouth, and had been splattered across the TV screen behind him, which was black and white and fuzzy. She couldn't remember the word that described it: her attention was only on Paolucci, dead, obviously having shot himself.

The silence was broken by Lucifer's inappropriate comment. "At least you can see what he was thinking."


	4. Chapter Four: Knockin' on Heaven's Door

**AN: Happy Easter!**

* * *

It wasn't Paolucci.

She supposed that she'd never find out the complete truth with him dead, outside of travelling to Heaven or Hell – which she doubted that Lucifer would be willing to do for her – but she was certain that he hadn't been the one to shoot Malcolm.

He had his key, and upon examining it, Chloe knew he'd had it for a while. There was a small engraving on it; a small heart with his initials in the middle, something that wasn't allowed but he'd done it while drunk. And that had happened two years ago, long before Palmetto.

It didn't disprove her other two theories – that he and Malcolm were investigating together, or he and Malcolm were dirty together – but the shooting… Of that he was cleared in her mind.

Outside of her mind, however…

"Just read the suicide note."

Chloe turned from her conversation with another officer and focussed on Dan. He was holding an evidence bag that contained the note she and Lucifer had found earlier; she'd stopped Lucifer from touching it and hadn't read it herself.

"Is it in his handwriting?" she asked.

Dan nodded. "Sure looks like it. Apparently he was on the take, Malcolm was onto him so Paolucci shot him. When Malcolm woke up, Paolucci couldn't take the guilt anymore."

For a moment Chloe glanced over at Lucifer, who met her gaze from where he was leaning against one of the tables across the room. There was no doubt that he'd heard, and was clearly thinking the same thing she was.

It was too neatly wrapped. Too perfect. "A nice little gift for the LAPD", as Lucifer would so aptly put it.

"It explains why he was so against me," she spoke aloud. "Makes you wonder why he didn't just go and pull the plug on Malcolm himself."

Dan shrugged. "Malcolm was being watched. Security footage…" He sighed. "I'm sorry, Chloe. We all are."

She knew what he was apologizing for. _I'm sorry we didn't believe you. I'm sorry we all thought you were crazy_. Everyone around her kept glancing at her, and there was genuine apology in their eyes. There had been more to the case, and there really had been a dirty cop involved, even if it hadn't been Malcolm.

For Chloe, the jury was still out on that one.

"Paolucci was an ass," she said. "I know that more than anyone. But this… I can't imagine this."

"You're saying he didn't do this?"

"I'm saying that it's too easy. Too simple."

Dan gave her a look of disbelief, but he didn't start yelling. Instead he handed the note to another officer before placing a hand on her shoulder and leading her outside, away from everyone else. He didn't talk until they were a small distance away from the bar. "Chloe, don't do this."

"What? Don't do my job?"

"You know, I think you actually like being hated by everyone at the department," he accused. "Everything is right there in front of you; the only fingerprints on the rifle are his own, it's sat at the right angle, the bullet went through his brain at the right angle, and the note is in his handwriting. It's concrete evidence that this is a suicide…but you don't think so."

"It's called being vigilant, and it's something a good detective should do," Chloe argued. "You don't think it's suspicious that all the security cameras were switched off?"

"The tech guys say there was a fault in the wires-"

"Which could've been easily tampered with," said Chloe. "Otherwise it's one hell of a coincidence we're looking at."

"Will you _stop_?" His raised voice was a surprise. "OK, enough of this, Chloe! I'm tired of this! I'm sick of it! You're stabbing _way_ too hard at something that's not there, and every time you stick your neck out because your gut doesn't agree with what's in front of you, you-"

"I what?" she cut him off. "I make you look bad? You know, Dan, when we started dating, you said my instincts were the best thing about me. You listed them as one of the reasons why you loved me. I guess you only loved them because they made you look good; helped you close cases. But when they started to embarrass you… As always, the job is more important than me."

"Chloe-"

"See? I told you. A chimpanzee is better than him."

They both turned to see Lucifer standing close by, watching. Chloe smiled a little, glad to know that her partner had her back.

Dan's reaction to the Devil was the opposite. "This is none of your business. We're having a private conversation."

"This private conversation is over," said Chloe. "And so is our marriage. When we hit the six-month mark in a few weeks, we're signing the papers."

"Chloe, I-"

"I know we were going to try and make it work for Trixie, but we can't lie to our daughter, Dan," she explained. "We can't set this as an example of married life. Being together and continuously arguing will be worse for her than separating. We're no good for Trixie if we're no good for each other. And…separating doesn't mean that you won't be Trixie's dad anymore, because you are. You'll always be part of her life. But we need to stop living in the past and accept the truth."

Dan looked as shattered as he had when she'd first told him about it; said that they should file for a divorce, because he wasn't making her happy anymore. It meant that he'd been hoping to figure something out and make things work, and judging by his recent efforts with Trixie…he'd really believed that.

But Lucifer was right. It was better to face the truth than lie to themselves.

No one spoke for nearly a minute, and it was Dan who eventually broke the silence. "If that's what you want," he said, and it obviously pained him to say the words.

She nodded. "I'm gonna head home. Get out of your hair."

"But this is your case-"

"It's yours now," she said. "Open and shut it like you always do. It's not like it matters if you actually solve it."

He began to protest, but she didn't want to hear it. She walked away, away from her ex and past Lucifer, who immediately followed. She was grateful that he refrained from shooting a comment at Dan.

"Do you still want me to stop by tomorrow?"

Dan's question made her stop and turn back to him. Remembering the conversation they'd had the day before – about him coming over to read their daughter a bedtime story – she replied, "Yeah. For Trixie. Don't be late."

She started walking again, making straight for her car. Lucifer didn't speak until they stopped beside it. "I thought you were already divorced?"

"I said I was separated from him. Two different things," she said. "There's a six-month wait between filing for a divorce and actually making the divorce final. I guess there's a wait so couples can make sure that they actually want to go through with it. After the initial anger wore off, Dan and I agreed to make an effort for Trixie, and then when the six-month mark arrived, we could decide whether or not to stay together for her benefit." She scoffed. "We didn't even make it to six months. But we came close, I guess."

Lucifer nodded, and there was a thoughtful look on his face. "You know I don't care much for Dan."

"Really? What gave it away?" She smiled.

"Yes, I have been a tad vocal about it, haven't I? But to be fair, he's been vocal about his seething hatred for me, so…" He trailed off, realizing himself that he was getting off track. "What I want to say is… I don't care for him, but clearly you do. So…I'm sorry that it didn't work out between you two."

Chloe was stunned. Lucifer had been acting jealous all day; taking pot-shots at Dan, trying to get Linda to solve her supposed "issues", generally being his usual pain-in-the-ass self…

And he said something nice. Something _selflessly_ nice, said not for his own benefit but because he was trying to make her feel better.

"Lucifer…"

"If you're going to make me say it again, I'll have to decline. It was dreadfully painful to say, and I don't think I can manage it a second time-"

She cut him off by flying forwards, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head against his chest. Lucifer went rigid in her embrace, but gradually she felt him relax and his arms went around her as he returned the hug. Judging from his reaction, she wondered (outside of Trixie's tackle hugs, and her own hug at his party) how long it had been since anyone had embraced him.

If ever.

As he rested his chin on the top of her head, Chloe opened her eyes again, not having realized that she'd closed them. Across the road she saw that Dan hadn't moved from where she'd left him, and was staring at them with an expression she couldn't make out, but could easily guess.

Her memory brought up Lucifer's words. _The woman that you loved was with someone else; someone you thought wasn't worthy of her…_

* * *

She wasn't shocked, or even surprised. But she _was_ disappointed.

Dan had blown off his evening with Trixie for a work thing. He'd been changing; making time for Trixie and putting her first before work. _But, what? Now that we're divorcing, that doesn't matter anymore? Because there's no chance of winning me back?_

The look in her daughter's eyes was heart-breaking. She'd expected to see it, but only because she'd been planning on sitting her down along with Dan and explaining that yes, Mommy and Daddy really were getting a divorce. Seeing it because Daddy had put work before her yet again after promising he'd be over…

She wanted to see her daughter smile again. So she called the one person who could bring that smile back.

The one person who didn't break promises.

"Lucifer!"

Trixie flew towards him and tackled his midsection, and like always, Lucifer tensed up with a look that was a mix of bafflement and horror on his face. Not for the first time Chloe noted the strangeness of a child befriending the Devil himself.

Though she didn't ponder it for long, because the sight before her was too hilarious to ignore. And adorable.

"Yes, hello…child." Lucifer attempted to peel Trixie off of him, but she wouldn't budge. "Detective, could you please remove your spawn from my person?"

"So you can toss a man through a glass window with one hand, but you can't escape from an eight-year-old's grasp?" Chloe didn't even try to hide her grin.

He squirmed. Actually _squirmed_. "I highly doubt you'd want me to toss your offspring out the window, so _please_ , get it _off_ me, Detective!"

"My daughter is a 'she', not an 'it'."

" _Detective_!"

Her grin widened. "No, I think I'll leave you to it. This way you'll both stay in the same place, and I won't have to worry about either of you getting into any trouble." And with a wink, she walked into the kitchen and left Lucifer to his squirming.

" _Detective_!" Lucifer tried to follow her, but with Trixie still attached to him, it was a struggle – and he ended up dragging her along while she was sat on his foot, clinging to his leg and laughing. "This is a punishment straight out of Hell, and I should know!"

Chloe partially covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing. "Stop being a baby. She likes you."

"Then she should show it in less…clingy ways." He frowned down at the child and almost gave into the urge to shake her off forcibly, but thought better of it. "Can I bribe her to leave me alone?"

"Seriously?"

But Lucifer wasn't listening; he was already reaching into his inside pocket. "Here's how it's going to work, small human. If you don't let go of my leg, then you don't get your birthday present."

Trixie immediately let go and jumped up and down. "What did you get me? What did you get me?"

"You got her a birthday present?" Chloe asked.

"Yes, of course," said Lucifer, as if the alternative was inconceivable. "I missed her party, so I had to make up for it somehow." He brought out a wrapped package that looked an awful lot like a Blue-Ray.

Trixie made short work of the paper, and Chloe almost dropped the plate in her hand when her daughter exclaimed happily, "It's Mommy's film!"

Chloe looked down at the film in the girl's hands and saw that, yes, it was the Blue-Ray edition of _Hot Tub High School_ , remastered in HD. With special Behind-the-Scenes footage. And bonus deleted scenes.

She inwardly groaned. "Lucifer!"

"What?" He looked so sinfully innocent, and she wanted to punch the smile right off his stupid smug face. "You said that she'd already seen it, and your copy wasn't even in HD. And if anything deserves to be seen in High Definition, it's your-"

"If you finish that sentence, I swear to God, I _will_ shoot you again."

" _Please_ don't bring my Father into this."

"Can we watch it, Mommy? _Please_?"

Chloe turned to her daughter, who was gazing up at her with a pleading expression. "Maybe tomorrow. It's late. Time for bed."

"Is Lucifer gonna read me a bedtime story?"

The Devil in question looked terrified of the idea, and Chloe found herself grinning again. "Yes. That's the reason he's here."

"You never mentioned this on the phone, and I certainly never agreed to this!"

"Can you really say 'no' to that face?" Chloe gestured to her daughter's best impression of a puppy; wide brown eyes, innocent and pleading. They were deadly; it took all of Chloe's effort to resist them, Dan barely could, and her mother was a slave to them.

Apparently, so was Lucifer.

"Very well," he said, and there was a little smile on his face. "Very talented eyes you have there, small human. You're almost as talented as me." He turned back to Chloe. "How do I put her to bed, Detective? Is there a small cage I can lock her in?"

Chloe bit her lip to stop herself from giggling. "She'll go brush her teeth, and then she'll pick out a story for you to read. Hopefully she'll drift off as you're reading."

"That still sounds like a punishment in Hell."

"You two will get along just fine," she assured him. "She's an eight-year-old, you have the attention span of an eight-year-old…"

"Ha, ha, ha." Lucifer didn't get a chance to comment further; Trixie was already dragging him away to her room, and Chloe's smile widened at how _awkward_ and uncertain he looked.

Chloe managed to finish the washing up and pack Trixie's lunch for the next day before Lucifer finally emerged from Trixie's bedroom. There was a look of pure relief on his face, and she sent him a smile. "See? Wasn't so bad, was it?"

"That tricky little minx conned me into reading some inconceivable story about a sneezing panda," he complained. " _Five_ times. I'd be far more annoyed if I wasn't so proud. She'll be quite the con artist when she grows up."

"Don't encourage her. I want my daughter to have a successful, _legal_ career when she's older."

"I'm joking, Detective."

"I know," she said. There was a short, comfortable silence between them before Chloe finally said, "Thank you." Before he could ask what for, she elaborated, "For coming over tonight, and for…having my back. It's been a long time since I've had this kind of support, and it really means a lot to me."

A strange look crossed his face; a look of realization perhaps, and possibly wonder. "You're really not going to run, are you?"

"Run?" It took her seconds to figure out what he meant. "Wait… You still think I'm gonna shut you out because of the whole Devil thing?"

With anyone else she'd be hurt by the lack of trust in her, but…it was Lucifer. Who was clearly insecure despite his bravado, and had probably _never_ seen a human _not_ run from his true identity before her. She realized that maybe it was why he was so jealous before; it wasn't so much her possibly choosing Dan over him, it was the thought of losing her altogether that had really bothered him.

Lucifer looked down at his hands. "I'm hoping you won't…but when it comes to me, the other shoe always drops eventually."

"It's not going to," she assured him, and waited until his gaze was on her again before she continued. "I don't care what you are or where you come from. I don't care about who you used to be. All that matters to me is the person you are now."

He smiled softly, and the only words she could find to describe it was: beautiful.

* * *

" _There's something I want to show you._ "

Lucifer didn't explain _what_ it was that he wanted to show her, but he told her where to meet him and to come quick. Chloe wasn't sure she liked being ordered around by him, but he just sounded so excited – like Trixie on a trip to the zoo – that she couldn't resist. And she supposed that if she didn't go, Lucifer would just come and get her.

 _He's lucky I don't have any active cases_ , she thought as she drove to the beach. It wasn't the most popular beach; people met there sometimes to do drugs, and it usually consisted of skinny dippers and couples having sex after the sun went down. There was a much nicer beach further south where Chloe sometimes took Trixie on her weekends off.

She doubted Lucifer was hoping to partake in usual beach activities, however. _But the skinny dipping and the sex is something he'd do. And if that's why he's asked me here, then I'll shoot him again_. The fact that it was daytime eased her mind, but only a little; she doubted the sun would make a difference when it came to Lucifer.

After parking her car, she climbed out and looked around. She spotted Lucifer's convertible, but its owner was nowhere in sight – until she turned towards the beach and spotted a lone, dark figure stood looking out over the sea. His back was to her, and she didn't wait for him to turn.

 _I guess I should get used to weird stuff like this_. She sighed and began walking down the beach towards him.

When she reached him, he didn't say anything, but somehow she knew that he was aware of her. Chloe gazed out over the water, her eyes drawn to the horizon as she waited for him to start talking. It didn't take long for her to run out of patience. _How is Mr. Short-Attention-Span, also known as Sir Never-Shuts-Up, still quiet?_ "I give up. What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"Nothing out there, Detective," he said with a smile, but he didn't turn to her. "If anything, you should look where you're standing."

She looked down, but all she saw was golden sand. "It's just sand. Is it…magic sand? Do you have a desire to sink your toes into it and you want me to watch?" He chuckled. "I mean, if this is another one of your ploys to try and have sex with me, it won't work. Not only do I stand by my statement that I will _never_ have sex with you, but I tried sex on the beach once, and it was a disaster."

That got him to look at her, and his grin was ridiculously big. "You've had sex on the beach? _You_ , Detective? Oh, you naughty girl. Do tell me all the details. Did you skinny dip before or after?"

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't actually _have_ sex. We didn't make it that far. It was back in high school, and I was with this guy at a party. He took me down by the water, we kissed, made out in the sand…"

"Ooh. Do go on. I want to know why this mystery fellow got unlucky. What was his name? Was it Keith? I bet it was Keith."

"I don't actually remember his name. But, to answer both your questions… Let's just say after that night, everyone called him Crab Nuts."

Lucifer frowned for only a second before he realized what she meant by that and winced. "Ouch. I can see why that would be a turn off."

Chloe shrugged. "He screamed for half an hour, and my virginity remained intact." She wasn't really sure why she was telling him…

"Oh, so you were still a virgin? Well, now you _have_ to tell me who you lost it to." His face fell. "Please don't tell me it was Detective Douche."

 _I'm not sure why I'm telling him all this, but I don't feel even slightly uncomfortable. Then again to him, talking about sex is like talking about the weather_. "Sage Hodgson."

"Oh, your _Hot Tub High School_ co-star?" He was smiling again. "The devilishly handsome bad boy. I'm impressed, Detective. And now I'm finding it hard to believe that you actually downgraded to Detective Douche. What happened?"

"Sage wasn't exactly…stable," Chloe explained. "It wasn't really his fault; not entirely. He was a former child actor, and you know how they sometimes turn out."

"Yes, you should see that boy from _Home Alone_. Dreadfully tragic."

She nodded. "He did drugs. Smoked pot. There was also that ongoing court case against his parents, because they were stealing money from his earnings. Then it got out that his dad used to abuse him. After he won the case he bought a house in Canada, and no one's heard much from him since."

"Well…" Lucifer was wearing an odd expression. "He and I are more alike than I thought."

His words reminded Chloe that they were there for him, not to talk about her. "Enough about me, Lucifer. Why did you call me here? And what does it have to do with the sand?"

"It's not the exact same sand from that night, but…" He sighed. "This is where I landed five years ago. Maze and I, when we abandoned Hell."

Chloe blinked, surprised by his words. "This…very spot." She pointed at the ground.

He nodded. "I like to come here from time to time, just to reminisce. It was right here on this very beach that I flipped dear old Dad the grandest of birds. And then…I had Maze sever my wings."

There was pain in his eyes, and she could almost see the scene playing out in them; him kneeling on the sand, screaming in agony as the demon cut off his beautiful wings, blood pouring everywhere…

"It hurt."

Again, he nodded. "A thousand times more than the Fall."

"Then why do it?"

"Because I wanted to sever myself from Him," said Lucifer. "From His grand plan; from the life I was forced to live. The wings…represented a part of myself that I wanted to cut off. So I did. I'm never going back to Hell."

Her head tilted. "Never? You can't think of any reason why you may want to go back?"

"No." His head tilted as well, considering her. "Well, maybe one, I suppose. If Dad or any of my siblings make the biggest paper work mix-up in the history of the universe and accidentally send _you_ to Hell, Detective, well…I'd have no choice but to go and get you."

Chloe could do nothing but look at him. "You _never_ want to go back to Hell…no matter the cost, and no matter what your brother does…but you would…if _I_ was sent down there?"

"I highly doubt you would, Detective, but mix-ups have been known to happen. And there's no question about it; I'll be down there to get you before you even feel the flames burn your skin."

She was speechless, moved by his words. Lucifer was determined never to return to the fiery kingdom he'd been doomed to rule…but would go back in a heartbeat in order to rescue her. _I've heard the term 'friends will go through Hell for each other', but I guess it's literal in Lucifer's case_.

And she found that it was the same with her, too. If Lucifer got dragged back to Hell against his will, she wouldn't stop until she found a way to bring him back. Even if it meant going against God himself.

"Going back there would hurt," Lucifer continued. "But the pain would be worth it."

 _I should get him to stop talking before I tackle-hug him to the sand_. "I can't understand how…painful it was, cutting off your wings. But I've dealt with pain. Physically, emotionally… It sucks."

"What's the worst pain you've ever experienced?"

She never would've answered had it been anyone else asking. But Lucifer had laid himself bare before her, and she felt the need to do the same. She felt…strangely safe talking to him, knowing he wouldn't judge her. "When my father died. It felt like…my heart was ripped right out of my chest. One day I was all excited about my stupid movie, and then the next…he was just _gone_."

"From this plain of existence, yes," said Lucifer. "But rest assured that he's sitting in the Silver City, probably having a good old chat with _my_ Dad. Though personally I think Heaven is worse than Hell; it's dreadfully boring and when you first go there, you have to endure Uriel's painful welcoming speech."

The certainty that her father actually _was_ in Heaven set her heart at ease; the part of her that still missed him, that was so certain she'd never see him again. She smiled for a moment before it faltered, and she averted her gaze to the sand. "He was working late, and stopped by Petey's place to pick up a sandwich. That's all he was doing, but…he was there at the wrong time. A guy came in to rob Petey, and Dad was in the way, so…the guy shot him. Over _money_." She tried to fight back her angry tears. "Us humans really do love our money. Our stupid… _worthless_ money. We'd even _kill_ for it."

She didn't look up at her friend, not even when he placed his hands on her upper arms and squeezed them reassuringly. Her head fell forwards and rested against his chest, not buried but leaning on him for support. One of his hands kept their gently grip while he used the other to stroke her arm, soothing her.

"What was his name?" Lucifer asked.

Chloe didn't answer for a few moments. "John."

"John Decker. No, he definitely didn't go to Hell. I would've seen him. So he's certainly safe in Heaven. There's no need for you to worry, Chloe."

It always made her smile when he used her actual name. "I think he would've liked you."

"Of course he would." She could hear the smile in Lucifer's voice. "What's not to like?"

Her smile widened.

* * *

"Not up for it tonight, are you?"

Dan hadn't been able to read her mind like that in so long, and his words caught her off-guard. Setting her box of noodles down, she sighed. "I've got a lot on my mind. Today's case…"

Lucifer had been hit hard. He didn't have many friends outside of herself, Maze and possibly Linda, and despite his denial he'd been getting along well with Frank. But then to lose him so soon…

Chloe's boredom of the long week with no active cases (it had actually reached the point where she welcomed Lucifer's usually unnecessary and inappropriate distractions), filled with nothing but thinking about her impending divorce and the case with Malcolm, had been what drove her to go with Lucifer to investigate the youth director instead of sending the case to the right department. She didn't expect a murder investigation, but hadn't complained.

Though Lucifer's attention hadn't been on the possible drug ring nor the murder; he'd been determined to prove that the local priest, Father Frank Lawrence, was a hypocrite and up to something nefarious. It was a way of "sticking it to his Dad", as he so aptly put it. Chloe's initial annoyance turned slowly into amusement as he was so gradually proven wrong, right up to the moment he saw Frank nodding along to the music in his club.

She hadn't been able to stop smiling when she found them playing the piano together.

"Sometimes you get along best with the people you're most different from," she had told him a little too quickly. She didn't want to admit that his denial and bemusement were familiar to her; that she'd felt exactly the same way about him when they first met. The very idea of becoming friends with a self-absorbed, sex-crazed club owner – who also happened to be the Devil himself – had seemed absurd.

Absurdly adorable.

And when Frank was shot, Lucifer's reaction had made it crystal clear that he cared about the priest. The man died in the Devil's arms, and Lucifer's anger was unlike anything Chloe had seen before; he'd been shaking, his voice breaking, tears beginning to form as he pinned Eric Doyle to the wall with only one hand, choking him. Chloe had barely managed to talk him down before he killed the man.

She sighed again and tried not to look at Dan. They were supposed to be talking about the custody arrangements with Trixie; had arranged it earlier right before she left with Lucifer to talk with Frank, since Trixie was at a friend's for a sleepover.

But she couldn't do it. Not when her friend needed her.

"We heard what happened," said Dan.

"Frank's death hit Lucifer pretty hard," Chloe explained. "He needs a friend right now, and I know you-"

"Don't like him," her ex finished for her. He let out a sigh of his own. "But he's _your_ friend, and you were right when you said that I don't have any control over your life. I don't know what Lucifer is to you – just a friend or something more – but either way I hated him for it. Then last week…my work thing…didn't take as long as I thought it would, so I hurried over – only when I arrived, Lucifer was already here. And I realized that Lucifer wasn't pushing me out – I was pushing you and Trixie out, and you were filling the hole I was leaving behind. I don't think I'll ever come close to ever liking Lucifer, but… I'd like to make up for not being here for you both, even after the divorce."

After being angry at him and avoiding him all week, his soft words of apology were a surprise. For a moment, Chloe didn't know what to say to him. "Dan…"

"You don't have to say anything," he said. "Not now. We'll talk another time. Now go be a good friend."

* * *

The happy melody caressed Chloe's ears, and she never stopped smiling as they played yet another round of _Heart and Soul_.

Her heart was at ease, seeing Lucifer smile again – and it was one of his rare, genuine ones instead of the usual smirk he wore. He was happy that she was with him; that she'd come to him in his time of need. She couldn't help but realize how…alone he must have been in Hell, with no one but Maze to keep him company.

And there must have been a time before when he didn't even have Maze. She thought of his Fall; how he must have felt falling to Earth, only to land in Hell and discover he was all alone. Cut off from his family, his everything, dealing with his feelings of grief with no one to comfort him…

 _Warning: Chloe Decker, if you dive too deep into these thoughts, you will be forced to hug Lucifer and never let go_. She swallowed as they finally stopped playing. _He's not alone anymore. I'm here, and I don't plan on abandoning him._

The pair were silent for the long minutes that followed. Lucifer stared down at the keys and Chloe watched him, waiting for his next move and preparing to react accordingly. She was about to take the initiative instead and start up another round of music – she wondered what he could turn Chop-Sticks into – but then he spoke.

"I've never had a friend before."

"I gathered," she said. It was something she'd guessed before; something that had been obvious right from the start. Lucifer was always surrounded by people, and was in contact with many more who owed him favours, but she doubted that he could call any of them his friend.

His expression when she'd called herself his friend…

"Maze is probably the closest I had to one," he continued. "But she served me. She had no choice. And friends…are supposed to be chosen because you like someone, not because they feel obliged to be your friend. At least, that's what it looks like in films, which is all I really have to go on…"

"No, you're right," Chloe told him. "You choose your friends. But it's not simply a case of going out one day and picking some random people you meet. Most of the time…a friend appears when you least expect them to. In the most unexpected places at the most unexpected times. And even if they seem like the kind of person you can never imagine yourself getting along with…they turn out to be the person you've always needed."

His head tilted as he considered her. "Are we talking about Frank and I, Detective…or some other friends you know?" The corner of his mouth twitched in a way that told her he knew exactly who she was talking about.

She smiled. "You took me by surprise…but I'm happy you did. I don't exactly have that many friends, either."

"Then I'm glad I returned the favour and eased _your_ loneliness, Detective."

 _Yeah, I'm definitely keeping him_. She looked down at the piano keys again. "Do you take requests?"

"I have limits, but…" He gently bumped her shoulder, and she felt a spark of warmth where they touched. "For you, I'm willing to play anything."

"How about _Beauty and the Beast_? It was my favourite film growing up."

He nodded. "That I can play, though I will need some help."

The next five minutes were spent teaching her how to play the base tune. Once she got the hang of it, repeating the same notes over and over, he joined her and played the main tune over the top. He didn't sing, but he didn't need to; she could hear the lyrics in her head, clear as day.

 _Tale as old as time,_

 _True as it can be,_

 _Barely even friends,_

 _Then somebody bends, unexpectedly…_


	5. Chapter Five: Calling Me

**AN: Nearly a week to go before _Lucifer_ returns!**

* * *

"What do you want me to do with the t-shirt?" Chloe called out. She picked up the bright green t-shirt from where Lucifer had tossed it on the couch on his way in.

She found herself bringing it up to her nose to take in the scent – a mix of Javier's restaurant and Lucifer's cologne – but quickly caught herself. She flung the t-shirt away like it was toxic. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

"Can you really imagine me wearing _that_ again, Detective?" Lucifer replied from his room. "Just throw it away. Or give it to your spawn. She likes bright colours."

Chloe's eyebrow rose. "OK, one: this is _way_ too big for her. And two: she has a name."

"Yes, and it's a hooker's name."

 _How has he not given me any grey hairs yet?_ Chloe wondered how many frustrated expressions she'd invented since meeting Lucifer. She sighed, "Oh God…"

"There's no need to bring _Him_ up, Detective!" Lucifer suddenly appeared from his room – still shirtless.

Chloe attempted to hide her blush at the sight of his chest. "Agreed, because your Daddy Issues are already clouding your judgement." Part of her understood; it had been a week since Frank's death, and Lucifer was still mad at his Father for letting it happen. But that didn't give him the go ahead to project his feelings onto the case.

His insistence that Junior was the killer, simply because of their similar situations, was especially annoying.

"Daddy Issues." Lucifer scoffed. "That's a _perfect_ title for a small portion of the Bible. Now, if you're done renaming ancient texts and reminding me that _my_ Father is still very much alive, I'd like to finish getting changed." He went to turn back into his room, but paused as if struck by a thought and spun back to Chloe. "Unless of course you wish to take advantage and remove the trousers-"

"Please don't finish that sentence if you still want to ride with me in the car."

"Then how am I supposed to help you if I'm not with you?"

She sighed. "Fine. If you finish that sentence, you sit in the back."

"But I _have_ to sit next to you," he complained. "I'm your partner, and you're mine."

"Calling me your partner is a bit of a stretch," said Chloe in a teasing tone. "I think 'babysitter' is more appropriate."

"Ha, ha, ha." He disappeared into his room again, but not before Chloe caught a glimpse of the scars on his back.

She hadn't seen them since the night of Carver's party, though they still looked the same. She was no Angel nor an expert on them, but she doubted that they'd ever fully heal, just like her own scar on her shoulder wouldn't. _We both have our scars_.

Of course, her scar wasn't self-inflicted. She supposed Lucifer's technically weren't either, since he'd said that Maze cut them off, but he _had_ asked her to. He'd practically disfigured himself in order to make a statement to his Father. "Daddy Issues" was putting it lightly.

Chloe was still pondering the subject when Lucifer re-appeared from his room, dressed in all black. "If you don't mind, Detective, I'd like a drink before we go," he said as he walked over to his bar.

"Mmm," Chloe said in reply, only half-listening.

Lucifer's eyebrow rose in her direction as he poured himself a drink. "Are you OK, Detective? You usually protest to alcohol consumption while we're working a case."

"I'm just thinking." She turned to him as he took his first sip. "Have you ever considered making amends with your Father?"

He stared at her for a moment. And then he laughed. "Oh, that's a good one, Detective! Here I was thinking you didn't have a sense of humour, and then you say something like that! I love it!"

"I'm serious, Lucifer."

His laughter continued until he saw that she wasn't laughing along with him. "You…actually _are_ serious."

"Yes." She nodded. "Children make amends with their parents all the time. How is the situation between you and your Father any different?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I want to understand you. Friends understand one another; friends talk to each other about these things."

The Devil sighed. "A friend is something I'm not used to having."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Chloe assured him, sensing his unease. "I'm not pressuring you. Just talk when you're ready, even if that means never."

He considered her for a few moments, his head tilting slightly, before he sighed again. "Things aren't that simple between me and my Father. If you've ever read the Bible, you'll know that making amends can't happen."

"Surely you can't mean that-"

"Oh, really?" He slammed his glass down. "If you think _I_ have a big ego, Detective, then prepare yourself for when you meet Dad, because His ego puts mine to shame. Making amends with Him would only ever consist of me telling Him that He was right, and I can _never_ do that. Because He simply _wasn't_. He never has been. And as I've told you before, I'm tired of playing by His rules. I'm tired of Him ordering me around; forcing me to do things I don't want."

"He can't make you do things you don't want to, Lucifer," Chloe said. "I mean, if He really wanted you back in Hell, wouldn't He have sent you back Himself by now?"

"That's why Amenadiel was sent. Dad's not fond of doing things Himself. And even if I was sent back against my will, I have this." He brought out a coin from his pocket; one which Chloe had seen him play with a few times before. She even seen it floating above the palm of his hand.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Think of it as a sub-way token," he replied, putting it away again. "I can use it to go back to Hell if I wish, which I _don't_ – or, if I end up down there against my will, I can use it to come back. But it only works once. So, if I happen to die again after using the coin to come back, without my wings I'm stuck in Hell."

"Probably should've thought about that before you burned said wings," Chloe pointed out.

"I've never been one to think that far ahead, so I've been told," said Lucifer. "But I'm sure Maze will find a way to get me out."

Reminded of what he'd told her before on the beach, she said, "Maze wouldn't be the only one coming for you. I'll be right there with her, gun in hand…not that it'll probably do much good against demons, but…"

"Detective…" He looked close to speechless and almost panicked. "I can't ask you to face Hell for me. The few mortal souls who have returned from Hell always went insane."

"You said you'd go back to Hell if I ever ended up down there. It's the same for me. Friends go through Hell for each other – and it just happens to be literal in our case." She found herself reaching out and taking his hand. "The thought of you being down there and not deserving it…the thought of you being gone at all… I'd miss you. You…jerk." She bumped his shoulder.

She didn't miss the awe in his eyes, which he quickly hid behind his usual façade. "Yes, well… I appreciate it, Detective."

"I have something to gain from it," she told him. "You're not alone in the Lacking Friends Club."

"Yes, you mentioned that last week. And I'm finding it very hard to believe." He looked close to scoffing. "If someone like you has never had friends, then humanity is truly doomed."

"I've _had_ friends," she said. "I had a good, solid friendship group when I was Trixie's age and younger. There weren't many of us, but that didn't matter. We thought nothing would break us apart."

"So what did?"

She sighed. "Because we were all so young, my friends didn't really understand the benefits of being friends with the daughter of an actress. They just thought it was cool. But as we got older, our interests changed, and I eventually realized that most of my friends were only sticking around for the fame. And the few that weren't I could barely make time for because my mom was always dragging me to auditions whenever I wasn't focussed on school work. High school was…very lonely, to say the least."

"But what about Crab Nuts?"

Chloe tried not to laugh at the name. "I barely knew him. We were both a little tipsy, and things happened. Well, _almost_ happened. There were a few people I talked to back in high school, but that was about it."

"You must've made friends on the set of _Hot Tub High School_ ," said Lucifer. "You dated Sage for a while."

"Back when I was filming, they felt like my friends," said Chloe. "But looking back on it now, they were just co-workers who happened to be friendly. They really didn't make the effort to stay in contact when I quit acting to become a cop."

"Then that's their loss."

She gave him a smile of gratitude. "I managed to make a friend at the Academy. Caitlin Corder. Recognize her name?"

"Vaguely."

"She was a child actress," Chloe explained. "She wasn't exactly enjoying the life of glamour for _a lot_ of reasons, so when she was eighteen she walked out on her pushy parents, donated most of her earnings to charity and applied to become a cop. We had a lot in common, everyone else made fun of us, so a friendship was born."

"I haven't seen her around."

Chloe looked down at her hands resting on the bar. "There's a reason for that." She took in a deep breath, preparing herself. "We were assigned to the same station when we graduated. Shared an apartment. Became partners, officially. We were a team for three years until…"

She closed her eyes and tried to block out the memory of that night. The little girl crying. The gun shot. Her best friend's scream…

"She died."

Chloe took another deep breath and nodded. "We were chasing a pair of car-jackers. Because they both had guns, we were supposed to wait for back-up when they ditched the car. But when they leapt out, we realized that they had a hostage: a girl about Trixie's age. The…main reason Caitlin quit acting was because she lost her little sister years before, when the movie set they were working on was raided by armed gunman. One of them shot her sister right in front of her. She was barely even eight."

Lucifer nodded. "I recall that."

"Weren't you still in Hell back then?" Chloe asked with a frown.

"I still have contact with Earth, Detective. So I know what's going on and what to expect. I was ready and waiting for those gunmen."

Chloe recalled seeing the incident on the news. "They were shot by the police…"

"Yes, and Maze and I thoroughly enjoyed dishing out their punishment."

She couldn't help the feeling of satisfaction his words brought her. "I'm guessing you punished the two car-jackers. They were both shot – after one of them shot Caitlin."

"Then they most certainly ended up in Hell."

Her satisfaction would have grown if not for the overwhelming sadness. "When Caitlin saw the girl, she ran after them without thinking. I followed, and I got there in time to…to see her go down. I shot the guy who got her; I aimed for the leg, but I was so…angry and upset, that my aim was wobbly, and…I got him in the crotch instead. He bled out before the ambulance could arrive."

"And the other?"

"He was threatening to shoot the girl. I didn't trust my aim when he was holding her directly in front of him. Thankfully Dan arrived and shot him in the only place he could target: the guy's head. Considering both men were wanted on five accounts of murder and rape, no one really felt sorry for them."

"Definitely in Hell. What of the child?"

"She was traumatized, by unharmed. The guys took the car while her mother was getting gas. They didn't realize she was in the back." Chloe sighed again and wiped away a tear. "Caitlin died in my arms with a smile, knowing that the girl was safe. But she didn't deserve to die. Why would your Father let someone like her die?"

"I've been asking myself a similar question for the past week." Lucifer sent a death glare skywards.

"It was my fault," Chloe continued. "I should have stopped her. Or I should've been by her side, and we could've faced them together."

"What happened was certainly _not_ your fault, Detective," Lucifer assured her. "The only ones at fault were the criminals, and can you really find fault in your friend for going after them? For doing the right thing? With what happened to her sister, it's clear that you would never have stopped her. And if you had been with her, you would have been shot, as well."

"Dan told me the same thing," she said. "But it still felt like it was my fault. It hurt, losing her. I hadn't had a friend in so long, and to lose her… I never took an official partner after she died. I had a few temporary partners on and off, and mostly teamed up with Dan whenever I needed help, but… I couldn't take another one. Not after losing her. It was probably a good thing when Palmetto chased all the potential partners away."

"So _that's_ why you were so reluctant to accept my help and partnership."

She nodded. "It played a roll, yeah. But the main reason was because you're an asshole."

"Oh, I'm truly wounded, Detective." He smirked. "But you fell for my charms eventually. You just couldn't let me go."

"No. I gave in because I knew you wouldn't."

"Keep telling yourself that, darling."

Chloe couldn't help but watch him as he finished his drink, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. He'd tried so hard to become her partner; harder than anyone had before. And while his attentions had bordered on annoying for the most part, the fact that he'd been so determined to work with her – no one else, just her – had made her feel…warm inside.

Just knowing there was someone who wanted to be around her for _her_ and not because of who her mother was, and didn't care that her thoughts and decisions fell into the unpopular vote most of the time, was enough to make her happier than she'd been in a while. It almost felt like her early relationship with Dan. She'd never expected that Lucifer Morningstar, eccentric club owner who was actually the Devil himself, would bring her that kind of happiness.

There was the whole wanting to sleep with her business, but hey, no one was perfect. And if he could accept her flaws, then she could accept his.

* * *

"How long is your mother staying for?"

Chloe's eyebrow rose, but she didn't take her eyes off the road. "Thinking about seeing her again after your burns heal up?"

"They shouldn't take long," said Lucifer, glancing down at his bandaged arm. "I may be mortal now, but I still heal faster than the average human. And to answer your question, yes and no."

"Yes _and_ no?"

"I want to see her again after the burns heal up, yes," he explained. "But that's not the reason I was asking. I thought Junior could cook us another meal, now we know he's innocent and since tonight's went to waste."

"Yeah, because tonight's meal went _so well_."

"You were the one who invited Detective Douche."

"Actually, Mom invited Dan," she corrected. "It was one of her hints that we should give things another shot. She doesn't know that we decided to go through with the divorce, and for now I'd like to keep it that way so she doesn't start pressuring me to move out." She was actually surprised that Lucifer hadn't blabbed about it at the dinner table…

"It doesn't sound very professional, living in your mum's house. I moved out of my parents' house when I was ready."

"You rebelled and your Dad kicked you out."

"Tomato, potato."

Chloe just rolled her eyes and explained, "I have a lot on my plate right now. I don't want to add apartment hunting to the pile. It's a nightmare."

"Ooh. If you're looking for a place to live, then you can always share my penthouse," Lucifer suggested. "I have a spare bedroom, so you can bring your offspring."

"So you only have one spare bedroom. Where would I sleep?"

"In _my_ bed, of course."

The comment earned him another eye-roll from Chloe. _Should've seen that coming_ , she thought. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass."

"The offer's always open if you can't find anywhere else."

"I'll keep that in mind."

They drove in silence for a minute or two, which was interrupted by Lucifer's frustrated sigh when she pulled to a halt at the traffic lights. "You could've made that, Detective."

"Orange means 'slow down' in the normal law book. But since you abide by the Lucifer law book…"

He muttered something under his breath. Chloe was almost certain it was, "Youngest old person."

She turned to him and gave him a once over. He looked fine apart from the bandage on his arm, and yet there was something a little…off. She'd found that even the smallest of things could change his mood, so had learned to pay attention to what he was saying, and what others were saying around him. She thought back to the confrontation with Anne Martin – and one thing he said stood out.

"You don't think you have a chance of redemption, do you?"

He didn't turn to acknowledge her, but Chloe knew he'd heard her; his entire body went stiff, and he sat up a little straighter. Eventually he said, "I'm the Devil, Detective. Redemption's a bit of a moot point, don't you think?"

"No," she said, and that made him turn to her with a look of surprise. "I think everyone deserves a shot at it. Even the Devil."

"And you're probably the only human who thinks that. Except for Mark Twain. He was an odd fellow."

"And Frank."

Lucifer avoided her gaze. "Yes, and…him. But don't believe for one minute that my Father thinks the same. He lost faith in me a long time ago."

Chloe looked away from him – but only because the lights had turned green. She drove forwards. "I don't believe that. And I don't believe that there's no hope for you; no chance of redemption."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because you wouldn't be sitting next to me. You wouldn't have saved my life – _twice_. Someone who's irredeemable wouldn't have done all the things I've seen you do. You think you've lost hope-"

"I _have_."

She swallowed before speaking quietly, but loud enough for him to hear. "I haven't. Faith, hope… I believe in you, Lucifer." She felt his eyes on her but didn't turn, needing to keep her focus on the road.

Then she felt a hand on her lap, and with a voice so soft she almost didn't hear him, he said, "Thank you, Detective."

* * *

After dropping Lucifer back at Lux, Chloe drove back home and looked forwards to a hot shower. When she stepped inside the house, she found her mother sat on the couch with a glass of wine.

"What happened to you?" Penelope asked, noticing the black soot and ash that covered Chloe's clothes and skin.

"Oh, it's, err… It's been kind of a rough night," said Chloe, taking off her jacket. "So I could use a drink."

"Here." Penelope held out her glass of wine.

Chloe accepted it as she sat down beside her mother. "Did Julia come for Trixie?"

"They left an hour ago. She was the one who called you earlier?"

 _Yeah. When you dressed up Trixie like 'an old drag queen', as Maze so aptly put it_. She nodded before asking, "What are you doing up?"

"I have an early flight," her mother explained, "and I didn't wanna leave without saying goodbye."

It wasn't new; Penelope stopping by out of the blue before leaving again just as suddenly. Yet Chloe frowned, and instead of relief she felt…sad. Suddenly she was five again and not wanting her mother to leave for another movie. "But you just got home?" She had a feeling it was her fault that her mother was leaving again.

Penelope just smiled. "Look… I know I haven't always been the easiest mom. I could be pushy, overbearing…" She reached out and cleaned a smudge of black from Chloe's cheek. "I'm sorry that you felt that you always had to be the adult. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy."

"I know." Chloe smiled in return. "But it kind of worked out in the long run. It gave me practise for the overgrown five-year-old I like to call Lucifer Morningstar."

Her mother's eyebrow rose. "Your love life is none of my business," she said, "but whether it's hooking up with your new friend, or making things work with Daniel, you should stop worrying about how it may turn out. Sometimes I think you could just…take a leap." She leaned forwards and placed a kiss on Chloe's cheek. "Goodnight, pumpkin."

"Goodnight." Chloe remained seated while her mother headed upstairs, leaving the Detective to her thoughts.

She and Lucifer were just friends. She and Dan were officially over. But there was something that Chloe had been meaning to do…and it was about time she took the leap and did it.

* * *

Chloe knew there was little chance she'd be able to get any prints off the key. It had been months since the Palmetto shooting, and the key had been practically lying in the gutter since then. Her only option, however, was risky. She had to play it cool.

"Hey, Chloe."

"Hey, Demora." Chloe placed the plastic slip bag containing the key onto the other woman's desk. "I found a 999 key. Has-"

"Oh, you found Dan's key!"

Chloe froze. "Huh?"

"He lost it some months back," Demora explained. "Right around the time Palmetto happened. Wasn't that around the time you guys separated, as well?"

"Yeah." Chloe could barely hear the other woman talking. "It must've…gotten mixed up with my stuff. Do you…want me to give it back to him?"

"Can do. He'll need to hand in his replacement."

"I'll let him know." Chloe picked up the bag and walked away without saying goodbye.

 _I shouldn't have bothered with the shower. I feel…dirty_.

It had been Dan. The whole time.

She was caught somewhere between hurt and rage. Dan had let everyone think she was crazy. _She'd_ been close to thinking she was crazy. Dan, her own husband, hadn't helped her when she needed it most, and for what? His reputation?

Was he corrupt? Was he responsible for Paolucci's "suicide"? He'd been quick to close the case, and had kept pestering her to close Palmetto…

She felt like curling up into a ball and crying. It didn't matter what way she looked at it, because either way, Dan wasn't the man she thought he was. He wasn't the man she'd once been in love with.

 _I need a drink_. She left her car parked at the station and walked towards the nearest bar.

* * *

Everything looked fuzzy. And yet, everything was perfectly clear. For the first time in ages, Chloe had clarity.

 _Dan never loved the real me_ , she thought as she stumbled out of the Uber. She smiled up at the familiar building in front of her. _He always criticized me whenever I did something that made him look bad. He hates it when I follow my gut_.

She waltzed into Lux like she owned it. There was no party and no one behind the bar, not even Maze. _He doesn't respect me. He didn't tell me the truth about Palmetto. He let everyone think I was crazy_.

Stumbling to a halt, she pressed the button for the elevator. The doors opened right away and she stepped inside. _I want someone who respects me. Who likes me for being me. Who lets me follow my gut. Good thing I already know a guy_.

When the doors opened again, Lucifer was standing on the other side. "Detective!" He looked surprised to see her. "This is…unexpected?"

"You said the door's always open, and I'm walking through it." She walked past him, wiggling her hips slightly and dropping her jacket on a barstool as she went.

She was pouring herself a drink at his bar when he spoke again. "Right, well, I was just on my way out to meet the Brittneys, but…I suppose they can occupy each other."

 _Good. He doesn't need those stupid Brittneys. He has me_. "Great!" She picked up her glass and slapped the space next to her. "Then have a seat!"

He was frowning at her. She wondered if she had anything on her face. "Yes… Has something happened? I'm guessing by the looks of it with…Dan, perhaps?"

"You mean Detective Douche?" _Lucifer was right. He's always been right_.

The Devil was walking towards her cautiously. "Yes, of course that's what _I_ mean, but the bigger question here is why do you mean-?"

"You were right!" She didn't want to cry. Crying was bad before sex. But she couldn't help it. "About him. You were right. It was him all along. The key we found was his. He shot Malcolm. And I don't know what that means! I don't know if he's corrupt, or if he killed Paolucci too, or… But I thought I knew him! And I don't! I don't know him…and he never knew me… He didn't tell me… Let everyone think I was crazy…"

Her sobs were ugly and left her gasping for air. She didn't see him move, but one moment Lucifer was at the other end of the bar, and the next he was stood in front of her and removing the drink from her hand. _Definitely has teleportation powers_. Accepting the silent invitation, she buried her face into his shirt and wrapped her arms around him. She felt him hesitate before returning the embrace, providing her with much needed comfort.

"How would you like me to punish him, Detective?" Lucifer asked. "I can be very creative."

"Tie him up and take away his pudding," Chloe mumbled into his chest. "And scare the crap outta him with your Devil eyes."

"Let's hope he's wearing his brown pants. Anything else?"

"I have an idea." She looked up at him with her best flirty smile.

And was surprised when he didn't return it. "Well, you've certainly been drinking like you're in high school. Why don't you have a seat and we can compile a list, hmm? I'm certain it'll make you feel better." He pulled out of their embrace before leading her over to the couch.

 _The couch. That's a better place to make-out_. "I feel like an idiot! He doesn't respect me. He doesn't care about me."

Lucifer sat them both down. "As much as I love hearing you bad-mouth Detective Douche, perhaps you should sober up before you do anything you regret."

"I won't regret doing you." She smiled. "You respect me…you care about me…" The smile remained as she leaned forwards, ready to attach her lips to his…

…but instead of returning her advances, he leaned backwards in an attempt to get away from her. "Detective…" He pressed his finger against her chin, and was lying on the couch completely when Chloe finally took the hint and stopped.

She stared down at him in confusion. "What's happening?"

"It would seem that I'm…saying 'no'," Lucifer replied, sounding equally puzzled.

Chloe found herself pouting. _No? I come here throwing myself at him, and he says 'no'?_ "But you've been trying to get me into bed since day one! Why're you saying 'no'?"

"Well frankly, my dear, I'm as baffled as _you_ are!" Lucifer gently pushed her back until they were both sitting upright again. "I mean, usually I'd leap at the chance to fulfil my carnal desire, but…for some reason I can't."

Turning away, Chloe let her head drop into her hands. Lucifer's rejection had broken through the haze created by the alcohol, and she was slowly realizing what she'd almost done. _This is why I never drink_. "What am I doing? Why am I here, drunk, throwing myself at you? This is so sad."

"Well, it happens to the best, I promise." She felt a comforting hand on her arm.

Chloe turned to him again. "But not to me! I don't do this!" _Crap, I'm gonna cry again_. "This is something…my mom would do." _Get completely hammered, try to have a one night stand… Yep. Mom in a nutshell. So much for taking a leap_.

"Come here." Lucifer wrapped an arm around her shoulder and brought her into another embrace. Chloe let her eyes slide shut as she curled into his warmth, allowing his comfort to wash over her. "We don't all turn into our parents, Detective…"

Those were the last words she heard before she passed out.


	6. Chapter Six: Epic

**AN: A chapter to enjoy before tomorrow's new episode.**

* * *

When Chloe woke up, the first thing she saw was her bra dangling in front of her face.

It took her a few moments to focus on it, but when she managed to reach out and pull it off the lamp, she began to notice other things about her situation. The most important being the fact that the bed she was lying in _definitely_ wasn't hers.

Add in the black silk sheets, the bottle of wine, two half empty glasses, her clothes splayed about on the floor of the penthouse…

Her eyes widened. "Oh no…" Bits and pieces of memory were starting to come back to her; Dan's betrayal, the alcohol that had followed, walking into Lux with the goal of sleeping with Lucifer… "No…" She turned over onto her back. "Oh God…" A hopeful glance under the sheets confirmed that she was naked, as she'd feared. _I slept with Lucifer_. "Oh God, what have I done?"

A throat cleared, and Chloe shot upright to find Lucifer perched in an armchair at the end of the bed. He was (thankfully) dressed in a black robe, his legs were crossed, and he was grinning.

"Don't worry. My Father's the forgiving sort. Well, except when it comes to me." He gestured to the table next to him, which held a small cup of what she assumed was coffee and a small silver flask. "Triple Espresso or Hair of the Dog?"

"No!"

"Oh. Right. Both." He poured whatever was in the flask into the coffee.

 _There's an explanation for this… There's a rational explanation that doesn't involve me sleeping with him…_ She couldn't stop her head from shaking. "Please tell me…we didn't…"

The Devil rose from his seat, and the expression on his face was answer enough. "Did we _ever_. And I'm pretty sure we made Rosemary's baby."

 _Shit_. The dread in the pit of her stomach hit critical level, and when he climbed onto the bed and began to prowl closer, she hurriedly wrapped the bed sheets around her and moved away. _He'll never let me hear the end of this. Goodbye, comfortable working relationship. Goodbye, friendship_.

Not once did she fear the repercussions of sleeping with the Devil himself. She'd grown beyond that.

Lucifer was still talking. "Detective, it was extraordinary. The heat, the gymnastics… I mean, you had moves that made even the Devil blush." He settled on the bed and continued to grin at her.

Once Chloe was out of the bed she turned and pointed a finger at him, preventing him from getting any closer. "Oh no. This is bad. Whatever happened last night… Don't tell me. I'd rather not know."

"What, that we _didn't_ do the nasty?"

She blinked and stared at him as he took a sip from his cup. His entire demeanour had changed, and she couldn't imagine why else he would tell her that… "We…we didn't?"

"Nope! I turned you down. Cold."

He never lied to her. She realized that his tone before had been teasing; he'd been messing with her, and in her shock, she'd fallen for it. But what actually shocked her was… "You, the guy who's been trying to get me into the sack since day one, had a chance to sleep with me…and didn't…what- you- Why am I naked?" She gestured down at herself.

"What, you mean you _don't_ remember the part where you passed out, woke up again, shouted at me, _"It's too hot in this five-star hell hole!"_ I believe it was," Chloe gasped in embarrassment and hurried into the main part of the penthouse, "then tore your clothes off and proceeded to hog the bed?"

Keeping the sheet wrapped around her, Chloe struggled into her shirt. There was no chance of getting her bra on without the sheet dropping. "I do that…sometimes, when I'm upset." Both Caitlin and Dan had witnessed the horror that was a drunk and upset Chloe. Speaking of the latter… "And you'd be upset too if you found out your ex not only shot someone, but then lied to you about it afterwards."

"Yes, it's very upsetting. Doesn't surprise me, though." Lucifer rose from the bed and pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket, which he opened. "I started to compile a list of punishments without you, Detective. I hope you don't mind. There's the pudding idea you came up with last night. We could knock him out, steal all his clothes and leave him down at the station for all to see. I rather like that one, actually. Or I can give him to Maze for a day, and let her have her fun with him."

"I don't think I hate Dan _that_ much." Chloe kicked the sheets away before she began to pull her jeans on. At Lucifer's raised eyebrow, she shrugged. "OK, maybe I _do_. But no dishing out crazy punishments until _after_ I've had words with him."

He huffed and leaned against the threshold of his room. "You ruin all my fun."

"I did say 'after'."

"Oh." He smirked. "How very out of character of you, Detective. Speaking of which, it was out of character for me too, wasn't it? The whole 'not wanting to have sex with you' thing. But here's the strange part: it gave me quite a rush! I can't explain it. I've been thinking about it all night."

Chloe finished pulling her shoes on and held up her finger again, catching his attention. "OK. Last night was a fluke, for both of us. Never happened. Leave it at that." She didn't know why she was bothering with the warning; she knew Lucifer, and he was never going to let her live it down.

"Right." She turned and strode over to the elevator, bra in hand and grabbing her jacket as she passed the bar. She ignored him when he called out behind her, "You snore, by the way! Like an Albanian field wench!"

The elevator was halfway to the bottom when Chloe realized she'd forgotten her underwear.

* * *

Dan wasn't answering his phone, and he wasn't replying to her texts.

No one had seen him since the previous day. Chloe wondered if he'd found out that she knew and had high-tailed it, but there was no way for him to know. She thought that maybe Demora had told him about the key, but the other officer hadn't seen him, either.

It wasn't unusual for officers not to come in; sometimes they got held up for one reason or another. Chloe decided that she'd give him another day or two before deducing that he'd run and reporting her findings to the lieutenant.

"I could get Maze to find him. She loves a good hunt."

"As tempting as that is, I don't want to tip him off right now that we're onto him. If he's still missing when this case is closed, then I'll think about it." They walked into Lucifer's penthouse, and Chloe couldn't believe it was the second time in the period of a few days that they'd come so Lucifer could change into a fresh pair of clothes.

 _Only this time he's naked_. Stripping off in his penthouse in an attempt to sleep with her was one thing. Stripping naked in public was another matter entirely.

She thanked her stars that her coat was long enough to cover his "assets".

"I suppose that's for the best," said Lucifer. "Can't exactly hold a charity event when there's a man tied up several floors above."

He went to remove the coat, and Chloe quickly grabbed the hems to stop him. "Whoa there! Take it off when you're in your room."

"What's the problem, Detective? It's not like you haven't seen it all before." He smirked and slowly attempted to pull the coat open.

She tightened her grip and kept it closed. "Clothes. Now."

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Very well, Detective." He turned away and walked to his room, muttering, "I give my clothes to a homeless man, and _this_ is the thanks I get?"

With the Devil gone, Chloe found herself alone in the living area. Memories of the previous night returned to her; strutting out the elevator, crying into Lucifer's chest, sitting on the couch, attempting to kiss her partner…

 _And I'm gonna stop thinking about this right now_. Even though his rejection still puzzled her – and apparently him, too – she really didn't want to think about what had happened, since Lucifer was in the next room and probably still naked.

Instead she focussed on his charitable mood. Her feelings on the matter were honestly split; on the one hand, it was nice to see him at least attempt to put other people before himself, even if it was for his own reasons, but on the other hand she missed the old Lucifer. She missed her partner and friend, who did nice things without realizing he was doing them, especially when it concerned her.

But she could understand his sudden need to be charitable, and it wasn't just about the 'rush' he was trying to recapture. Despite his insistence that there was no hope for him, she knew that he wanted to be better; he wanted people to think better of him. After centuries of people calling him evil and blaming him for their sins, well, it was completely understandable that Lucifer would want some positive attention.

There was a sudden ring, and Chloe jumped at the sound.

"I'll get it." Lucifer hurried out of his room, thankfully only half naked with his legs and "other assets" covered. But his chest was still bare, and Chloe averted her gaze away with a blush when he passed her to pick up the phone. "Hello, you've reached Lucifer."

A conversation started (it was about the charity event), and Chloe slowly turned her gaze towards him when she was certain he was occupied. His back was to her, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't look away from his scars. She was once again in Lucifer's penthouse, the Devil shirtless, and his scars were on full display.

She thought not of his wings and why he had burned them; instead her mind focussed on the unthinkable act that had caused his scars. It was near impossible not to consider wings as an important part of an Angel's body, and to cut them off…well, it was the equivalent of a human cutting off their arms or legs. Lucifer had put himself through unimaginable pain just to (literally) cut himself off from his old life. 'Extreme measures' was putting it lightly.

Without realizing or meaning to, she slowly moved towards him with her hand raised slightly, and her gaze never leaving the scars. She was caught in a trance – which was only broken when Lucifer (who had finished the phone call) turned and took her hand in a gentle grip. With a start, Chloe blinked back to reality and realized what she'd been about to do.

"I'm sorry, I…" She averted her gaze to the floor. "I don't know what came over me."

When she dared to look at him again she expected to see a smirk or his eyebrows wiggling, along with a flirty comment ("Can't keep your hands off me, Detective?" was the obvious choice). It was the most likely reaction after what had happened the previous night. Option two was the look she'd dubbed 'The Kicked Puppy'; the look that had caught her off guard the night of Carver's party, when she'd come close to touching his scars before. That had been her first indicator of the deeper issues that affected him; that he was more than just an annoying jackass who refused to leave her alone.

But instead of either of those looks, the expression on his face was one of thought. He appeared to be locked in his own trance, his gaze fixed upon her hand as his thumb moved in gentle motions across her skin. It was as though he was contemplating something, and she waited patiently for him to make the first move.

The moments ticked by in silence until Lucifer let a sigh escape him. He didn't look at her as he said, "You can touch them."

His words took Chloe by surprise, considering his last reaction when she'd almost touched his scars. "Are you sure?" she asked, just to make certain. He still kept his gaze averted and didn't say anything, but he nodded his consent. She nodded in reply. "OK." Her hand squeezed his in comfort and didn't let go as she slowly moved around to his back. Their touch shifted a little to compensate for the different position, but they remained in contact when Chloe reached out and touched a scar for the first time.

Lucifer's breath hitched and he flinched a little. Chloe moved her hand away, but Lucifer gave her other hand – the hand still joined with his – a squeeze and said, "Keep going, Detective."

She hesitated. "Are you sure?" she asked again. "I don't want you to push yourself."

"I want you to touch them, Chloe. I…trust you." There was an edge of determination in his voice. He wanted to let his barriers down around her, she realized; no turning back. He wanted to show her his vulnerable side.

In a moment of clarity, Chloe understood her true motivations the previous night. She hadn't just gone to Lucifer with the goal of sleeping with him; she had thought it was the only reason at the time, but with a sober mind her reasons became clearer.

She never let anyone see her weak; see her drunk or upset. Even when she was hammered, which was hardly ever, there was always an instinct to stay away from everyone else and hide her vulnerability. It had happened on occasion with Dan and Caitlin, but those occasions had been rare, and she'd soon put a stop to them. While the latter was because she hadn't wanted to remind Caitlin of her parents (whom she'd been forced to take care of whenever _they_ were drunk), the former had been due to Dan's judgemental comments the morning after. He'd meant well, but the comments had hurt all the same.

Lucifer accepted her unconditionally. She could be herself around him without having to worry about what he would think of her. And it was that lack of worry that had led her to his doorstep. Her guard dropped around him, because she knew he'd never hurt her; would never give her a reason not to trust him.

She had let herself be vulnerable around him…and by letting her touch his scars, he was doing the same.

So touch them she did. They felt rough, though a different kind of texture that was usually left behind from a burn scar. The bumps were large and long, mostly striking across the scars like they were stitches holding his entire back together. And yet, despite how…horrifying they looked (and they only looked horrifying because all she could think about was how painful the act must have been), they felt soft to touch.

They didn't make Lucifer look ugly. They just showed that he'd been through rough times and was strong enough to make it through. That was what scars were: proof that you survived the horrors of life.

She kept one hand linked with Lucifer's while her other gently trailed the length of the scars. He trembled a little under her touch, but it was the good kind of tremble.

"Do they still hurt?" she asked.

"They hurt for a long while. I didn't think the pain would ever stop," he replied, and Chloe wanted to weep for him, for she knew from the tone of his voice that the pain was emotional as well as physical. "There's no longer any pain, but there's a…feeling that something is missing. I doubt that feeling will ever go away."

Her heart ached for him; a Fallen Angel who resented his Father and siblings so much that he practically mutilated himself to get rid of any ties to them. _He's suffered so much because of his family…_

Before she fully realized what she was doing, Chloe leaned forwards and placed a kiss on each scar.

Lucifer went still and Chloe's eyes widened. "I'm sorry…"

"Detective? Did you just…?"

"Mom instincts," she explained quickly, before he got any funny ideas. "Whenever Trixie hurts herself, I always kiss it better. It doesn't actually heal anything, but it makes her feel better."

The Devil turned to face her as their hands finally separated, and he considered her with a slight head tilt. "Is it human magic?"

Chloe frowned. "I…don't think so."

"Because it worked," he said. "The feeling has…dulled somewhat. It feels rather nice, actually."

"I think it's the emotion," said Chloe. "My parents used to do the same with me, and it always worked."

He nodded, completely fascinated. "Did someone kiss your bullet scar better?"

"I'm an adult now, Lucifer."

"So am I. In a way. May I kiss it better?"

She waited for the innuendo. The suggestive leer. The seductive smirk and the wiggle of his eyebrows. But none came. His expression was devoid of any hidden motive, and his eyes were innocent, lacking the mischievous twinkle she was so used to seeing. It wasn't a ploy to get her into bed. He genuinely wanted to return the favour; ease her hurt.

So without a word, Chloe found herself turning and lifting her shirt up. She felt Lucifer lift it higher before his warm hands pressed against her back, specifically the area around her scar. His thumb gently brushed against it, before he leaned in and placed his lips upon the damaged flesh.

Her scar no longer hurt, but on occasion there would be a dull ache just beneath the skin, and there was always a self-awareness of it; like her body was constantly trying to call attention to it. But when she felt Lucifer's lips against it, all of that fell away. Under his gentle touch, her body felt like it had before the injury; when there was nothing there but smooth skin.

She wasn't ashamed of her scar. Not one bit. But the sensation still felt amazing.

The kiss ended and Lucifer pulled back, but only a few inches; she could still feel his breath on her skin, warm and wonderful, and she shivered in trepidation at what he was going to do next. He was moving to the right towards her neck, and Chloe began to move into his touch in order to let him explore…

A sudden ring caused them to jump apart as if burned.

It was Chloe's phone that time, and she hurriedly pulled her shirt back down before taking it out of her pocket. Glancing at the screen she saw that it was only a text. "Just Julia," she said, quickly texting back a reply.

"Right." Lucifer looked uncertain. It comforted her that he was just as clueless and hesitant as she was to talk about what just happened.

Chloe tried not to look at him as she said, "You might wanna…put a shirt on…"

"Right. Of course. Won't be long." He hurried into his room.

When she was certain he was gone, Chloe let herself breathe. It shocked her, how easily she could've given in; how easy it would've been to let their relationship move to the next level.

But she couldn't let that happen again. She and Dan had been good friends once, becoming closer after Caitlin died, and when it had transformed she'd dived right in both feet first. She'd let the excitement take her like a tidal current of emotions – only to soon re-discover just how dangerous tidal currents could be. After everything that had happened between them, even just ignoring Palmetto, Chloe knew that she and Dan could never be friends again.

And she didn't want that to happen between her and Lucifer. She didn't want to lose another friend.

* * *

All things considered, the charity event was a success. Money had been raised, and they managed to catch the person responsible for Tim's murder. Chloe couldn't even begin to wonder how Vanessa could steal money from children and then go on to kill a man she'd loved. She only hoped that Kyle and Will managed to keep the charity going.

When the last guests had left, Lucifer approached her with a little smile on his face. She'd caught him looking at her many times throughout the night. "Did I mention how wonderful you look tonight, Detective?"

"You may have said so a few times." She smiled in return.

He finished his drink and placed the empty glass on the bar. "Right. As much as I love seeing you in a good mood, I should probably mention that your ex-douche is upstairs in my penthouse."

The mention of Dan changed Chloe's mood instantly. _And once again, Dan ruins everything_. "I thought I said not to send Maze after him."

"Oh, I didn't," said the Devil. "He came here himself to… Well, that doesn't matter right now. I'll tell you later once you've yelled at him."

She was curious about what he meant, but decided that whatever it was, it could wait. With a sigh to prepare herself, Chloe marched past him and made straight for the elevator. He followed, and she didn't stop him; she doubted she'd be able to.

When they arrived in the penthouse, Dan was sat at the bar nursing a drink. He looked…terrible, actually. Chloe didn't think he'd ever looked so beat up in his life. But that didn't matter, because seeing him reignited her anger. She was hurt and betrayed, and it was all his fault.

In a few long strides, she was across the room and punched him so hard he fell backwards off his stool.

"You liar!"

Behind her she heard Lucifer mutter, "I wish I had a phone. I could've filmed that. Maybe made a GIF from it."

Dan stumbled to his feet. "What are you…? Chloe…"

"I found the key, Dan! Your key, which you lost when Palmetto went down, and do you wanna know where I found it?"

His confusion melted away, changing into realization when he figured it out. "Chloe…I'm sorry…I didn't mean-"

She punched him again, cutting him off. "You bastard!"

He averted his gaze downwards. "I deserved that."

"You _lied_ to me!" Chloe took in several deep breaths, attempting to stop herself from crying. But she could feel the tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I don't even know you. You shot a man in cold blood!"

"I shot Malcolm to protect you." She had to give him some credit for staying calm. "He was going for his gun. What else was I supposed to do?"

She recalled that small moment; the moment after Malcolm saw her. He'd reached to his side, and she'd thought he'd been either tucking his cash away or getting more out. But then moments later, when the bullets had started to fly, he had his gun in his hand…

 _It adds up_. She could admit that. Maybe it meant that Dan wasn't corrupt, and it possibly meant he hadn't killed Paolucci, either.

But it didn't excuse what came after. "Everything I saw at Palmetto… It was all _true_! You let them think I was crazy!"

"I never intended-"

"You let _me_ think I was crazy! If that's not what you intended, then what _did_ you intend?! What possible excuse do you have for… _doing_ this to me?!"

"I didn't want you involved," Dan explained. "I was looking into Malcolm; I knew he was dirty, even looked the other way a couple of times-"

"Seriously?!"

"But I didn't want to speak out unless I had clean, hard evidence. I followed him to Palmetto, and when I saw you there… Why couldn't you, for once, leave well enough alone, Chloe?"

"You mean why couldn't I leave Palmetto alone?" she spat. "Well, I'm sorry I ruined your little attempt to cover your tracks. If you had spoken up and taken my side, then we could've closed this case _months_ ago. But no. As always, your job and your reputation is more important than me and seeing justice done."

"I'm sorry-"

"You don't _get_ to be sorry!" She raised her fist again, and he flinched away. "Because of you, there's a shady cop running around who probably killed Paolucci-"

"He did."

Chloe bit down hard on her lip, almost drawing blood. "Paolucci was an ass. But he didn't deserve to die. Malcolm may have killed him, but that death…is on _you_."

"If I could take it all back, I would."

"You can't take it back." She shook her head. "Everything you've ever said to me… I just can't believe you'd sink to these levels. All those lies you told me… You came and helped me that time, but all you really wanted to do was convince me there was nothing worth looking in to. You wanted to make sure I didn't find anything."

He sighed. "I should've known you wouldn't close the case."

"Lucifer and I found the key before we came to the precinct to make the announcement," she explained. "I only announced I was closing the case to make it look like I wasn't looking for anyone. Everyone at the station was a suspect – but I was really hoping it wouldn't be you. And it hurts that it is."

"So…" Dan looked between her and the Devil, "you and Lucifer have been secretly working on this the whole time?"

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Daniel," said Lucifer. Chloe could hear the icy edge in his voice; the warning that he was close to unleashing the fury of Hell upon her ex. "You're thinking about blaming me, aren't you? Well, I'm sorry for committing the unforgivable sin of helping a friend when she needed it, and helping her uncover a heart-wrenching betrayal. Because letting her wander on blindly while a corrupt killer is on the loose is definitely the right thing to do."

He was pissed. Chloe prepared to jump in the way if things went too far – not because Dan didn't deserve it, but because she really didn't want to explain to her ex that her new friend and partner was the Devil himself.

It looked as though Dan wanted to bite back – but instead, he composed himself. "I know I messed up. But… Chloe, I was in a tough spot. I shot another officer, even if it was in defence. Everyone down at the station liked Malcolm. Neither of us were supposed to be there. I made a tough call. I'm not proud of it, but… What other choice was there?"

Chloe couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You think you were in the right, don't you?" She brought out her arm to stop Lucifer from surging forwards and tearing his head off. "We could've taken on this case together. But instead you thought you had the right to keep secrets from me, despite knowing I'd never back down."

"It was for your own good-"

Her fist collided with his face once more, and he stumbled back. "For my own good?! Oh, that makes _so much_ sense! Kill two birds with one stone, was that it? Get me off your case _and_ try to kill my so-called "problem" of digging too deep? You don't even respect me at all, do you? Because if you did, you wouldn't do something so selfish behind my back and make yourself feel better about it by saying it's 'for my own good'!"

"Chloe, no. I love you-"

"No, you don't," she told him. "Maybe you think you do, but really, you just love who you _want_ me to be: a well-behaved cop who always does what her husband tells her is right. But if this case has proved anything to me, it's that I really don't know you, and you don't know me."

He sighed. "I want to make this right."

"There's only one way you can," she said. "But I doubt you'd be willing to tell everyone the truth. Because when the push comes the shove, you care more about your job than you do about your family, or anyone else for that matter. You gave me that talk about how dying as a corrupt cop would be bad for Malcolm's family, yet you don't seem to give a damn about Paolucci's. How many benefits do you think his family lost because the record states he was on the take?"

"And what do you think will happen to you and Trixie if I come clean?" he asked, holding her gaze.

"At least you would've told the truth," said Chloe. "And I can manage fine with Trixie."

"Because she has a friend who has sacks of money," Lucifer added, and Chloe let the comment slide. Feeling him beside her gave her strength.

She held Dan's gaze in return and said, "Being divorced will probably help. This week, you and I are signing those papers and making it official. I don't want to be married to you a second longer than I need to be."

He sighed again. "I understand."

"And until further notice, I don't want you around Trixie." He went to argue but she cut him off. "Do you really think you have a right to see her after everything you've done? I know you're her father and I know you'd never hurt her, but you need to understand that actions have consequences. The bullet I took from Jimmy Barnes hurt less than what I'm feeling right now. You betrayed my trust, and something like that isn't so easily forgiven. You can see her again when you've earned the right to."

"You can't do that." He went to grab her wrist.

She yanked it back and went to punch him, but to her shock, Lucifer gently stopped her. "Easy, Detective. As much as I'd love to see you beat him about, I'd say he's had enough. And he did come here to try and save me."

"Save you?" Chloe gave him a questioning look.

"Yes, that's what I was referring to, earlier," Lucifer explained. "Malcolm came here to kill me."

"What?!" So many emotions flared to life all at once; anger, shock, worry, fear… _He can't die. Not now. Not when I need him. I can't lose another partner…_

She felt his hand squeeze hers in comfort. "It's alright, Detective. I managed to talk him out of it. I'll explain later." He gave her a look that told her there was more to the story than that; something that was better said when they were alone, without Dan present.

The Detective sighed and turned back to her ex. "If that doesn't prove that Malcolm is dangerous, I don't know what will. Now, either you're gonna tell everyone what really happened at Palmetto, or I will. I still have your key. I know how you escaped, and it fits with the angle the bullets were shot from. No one can vouch for your whereabouts that night. I have evidence, and I can make a case. I _will_ do it, Dan. To put him away and save innocent people… I'll do it."

"You'd really condemn me?"

"You lied to me, Dan. You betrayed me. And I'm prepared to do what's right. Are you?"

The expression on his face, one of slow realization, told her that he knew she was speaking the truth. She'd sell him out in order to put Malcolm away. And for that, he had no one to blame but himself. He hadn't done the right thing before; hadn't backed her up. Karma always came around, and the ironic payback wasn't lost on Chloe.

He didn't say a word when he passed her by, heading towards the elevator. Chloe didn't turn to watch him go; just remained silent until she heard the doors close.

"Shall we make a wager?" Lucifer asked. "On how long it'll take him to turn himself in?"

Chloe sighed. "We'll talk later once I've calmed down. Maybe he'll be reasonable."

"Now why do I find that had to believe?" Lucifer walked over to the bar and poured out two drinks. Chloe hopped onto a stool as he handed one to her, and he sat down beside her. "What on Earth did you ever see in that douche?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "We met on my first day at the precinct. He was still a normal cop, and he seemed nice. He showed me around, and everything. We didn't become closer until after Caitlin died. I needed a new roommate, he was looking for a new place, so we thought 'why not?' Friendship soon grew into something more, and after an accidental kiss at a party, we started dating. It felt amazing at the time, but looking back on it all, it was like…I was obliged to date him. I'd only ever had one boyfriend, and I doubted I'd ever meet anyone else…"

"So you settled?"

She nodded. "Honestly, I don't think I would've married him if Trixie hadn't come along. That's what I meant when I told you she was only sort of planned; I wanted to have kids, and I actually thought about sharing a kid with Dan as just friends… I found out I was pregnant, Dan popped the question, and I just said 'yes'. Things were OK right after she was born and a few years after, but things began to spiral down pretty quickly. We made things work for Trixie's benefit, but I knew it was only a matter of time. After Dan became a detective, he put work first before the two of us, which only got worse when I became a detective, too. And when he didn't support me through Palmetto, it was the final nail in the coffin. It was a relief to move away from him, but…it hurt knowing I'd lost another friend. I felt so alone. And it sucked. I was even scared that I'd start getting depressed."

"You're not depressed now," said Lucifer. "So what changed?"

"I'd tell you," she replied with a smile, "but your ego's big enough. I don't want to blow it up."

He smirked. "Oh, so _I_ came along and lightened things up for you."

"OK, yeah. You turned things around for me." Her smile faded slightly. "Which is why we need to take Malcolm down. If he tries to kill you again-"

"I doubt he would," Lucifer explained. "I made him an offer he couldn't refuse. See, my dear old brother is the reason Malcolm's not rotting in Hell; he brought him back after about thirty seconds. But thirty seconds here feels like thirty years down in Hell, so not only has your cop friend come back slightly untethered, he's also determined not to go back down."

"So your brother is the reason Malcolm's running around again?" Chloe felt her anger rise a little. "He's supposed to be an Angel of God."

"Doesn't make him a nice fellow, I assure you," said Lucifer. "After bringing him back, Amenadiel made a deal with him; either Malcolm killed me, thus sending me back to Hell, or Amenadiel would kill him. All I did was point out two flaws in my brother's plan: being an Angel, he can't take a human life, and even if Malcolm succeeded he'd eventually end up in Hell anyway."

The anger grew at the thought of Lucifer being killed, but she kept it in check. "And that convinced him not to kill you?"

"I thought it would, but since he's untethered as I said, he decided to try and kill me anyway," the Devil continued. "I had no choice but to give him my coin; the means of returning from Hell. And in exchange, he doesn't kill me."

"So you basically gave a murderer a way back from Hell."

"What other choice did I have, Detective?" He took a large gulp from his drink. "Not that it mattered in the end, since he wouldn't have been able to kill me anyway."

Chloe frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It seems my mortality issue switches off and on. I found that out when that lovely Vanessa shot me."

"What?!" Chloe's hands immediately went to his chest, and that was when she noticed it: a small hole in his Armani suit, partially hidden under the fold. "She shot you?! That…bitch."

"Oh, what foul language, Detective. Save it for the bedroom, will you?"

She wanted to hit him. "You could've _died_!"

"But I didn't. I survived." He took out a knife from his pocket and stared at it in contemplation. "I tested it when I was in the elevator afterwards. This knife didn't leave a single scratch. Which begs the question: why is it that sometimes I'm immortal, and other times I'm all too human?"

Chloe put her drink down and slid her hand across the bar to give his arm a squeeze. "We'll figure it out."

He turned to her, frowning. " _We_ , Detective?"

"You help me with my cases, so it's only fair that I help with yours," she told him. "And even if you didn't, we're friends, Lucifer. Friends help each other out."

"Do they also show up drunk at each other's doorsteps?"

She smiled at his teasing. "I've been think about that a lot. Why I showed up here drunk, why you wouldn't sleep with me… And I think… _us_ …our _thing_ … Maybe it goes beyond just being work friends, or casual friends."

"I never knew there were so many kinds of friends. Do sex friends exist?"

"Yeah, but that's not us. No sex there."

"Congratulations, the first woman to give the Devil blue balls."

Her smile widened. "Anyhow… It's more than that, because…I can let my guard down with you. I don't do that with anyone else. Something about you makes me feel…safe. I know you'd never hurt me."

He frowned, his hand absentmindedly playing with his knife. "You do remember I'm the Devil, right?"

She nodded. "You make me…vulnerable. It should be scary, but…maybe that's OK."

His eyes were intense as he stared at her in surprise…until he flinched as if in pain, and looked down at his hand. His eyes widened. "You…"

Chloe leaned forwards and saw that there was a scratch on his hand, which was bleeding everywhere. "Lucifer!" She looked around for a cloth, but his grip on her arm stopped her.

He was looking between her and his bleeding hand, and there was dawning realization in his eyes. "If it's any consolation to your pride, Detective…it appears you make me vulnerable, too."


	7. Chapter Seven: Feel Safe

**AN: Loved the new episode, but now I'm trying to figure out how to fit it into this 'verse later on...**

* * *

"What are you?"

There had been a moment, only a few seconds, when they had just stared at one another. But then Lucifer spoke again, and the warmth that had been growing in Chloe's chest – the warmth at knowing that Lucifer felt the same way she did – faded quickly, to be replaced with bafflement and worry.

Lucifer was staring at her in confusion, shock…and accusation. She didn't know how to respond.

"What?"

"Oh, come on," he said, and the tone of his voice was one she'd only heard whenever he confronted the criminals they caught – and also minutes before, when he'd confronted Dan. It was smooth, icy and dangerous…but there was also something else. It sounded like… _hurt_. "The proof is right here."

He held up his hand, and his words came back to her. Suddenly she realized what he was getting at.

 _Why is it that sometimes I'm immortal, and other times I'm all too human?_

 _It appears you make me vulnerable, too_.

She found herself sliding off the stool and took a step back. _I'm the reason he gets hurt. I make him vulnerable_. Her eyes found his bleeding hand again before she reached for her purse and rummaged around for a tissue. "You need to stop the bleeding."

"What I _need_ , Detective, is _answers_ ," he insisted. She hadn't heard him talk to her in such a way since the night she found out his identity. It sent shivers up her spine, no matter how hard she tried to stop them.

Over and over, she repeated that Lucifer was her friend, and she had to help him no matter what. Even if he scared her.

"Here." She held out the tissue from her purse.

But he didn't take it. Instead he too stood up, his eyes never leaving her, and backed away slowly. "My bouts of mortality started when I met you. And now, it appears I can only be hurt whenever I'm in your presence."

Something nagged at the back of her mind, but she ignored it. "And I'm just as clueless as you are, Lucifer. But we'll figure this out, I promise."

He just continued to stare at her, and the hurt in his eyes became more pronounced. "I wish I could believe you."

She understood what he was feeling. She truly did. His entire family turned their backs on him and cast him out of their home. Humanity hated him; blamed him for their faults. Everyone always seemed to be out to get him, and he had no other friends to speak of. _Suddenly finding out that your only friend is hurting you… Yeah, I can see why he's reacting like this_.

 _I need to make him understand that I don't know any more than he does. That this is a shock to me as well as him_. "Lucifer…when I found out who you really were…I freaked out. But then I realized that actions speak louder than words – words in this case being what everyone else has been saying about the Devil. I trusted what I saw, not what I'd heard." She didn't know how else to prove to him that she wasn't out to get him, that the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him…

He frowned. "You were almost _too_ OK with who I was…"

"OK, how about we don't jump to conclusions about this? Before someone gets hurt." The thought that nagged at her clicked into place. "Wait, you weren't always mortal around me. Jimmy Barnes shot you, and I was right there with you. But you didn't die."

His expression faltered slightly, and some of the accusation faded as the confusion grew. "Yes. You were hurt, and… You were hurt." There was a light of understanding in his eyes. "Perhaps you being hurt stopped whatever it is about you that makes me mortal. At least temporarily. Or perhaps whatever this is has been slow coming, and it was extended exposure to you that caused it…"

"See? You're thinking," she said. "That's what we do: we think about these things instead of jumping to conclusions. Now, is there anything else that can hurt you? Anything at all that could cause this?"

He looked thoughtful. "Angels can kill other Angels." Another light in his eyes; a look of realization as he looked her up and down. "You're an Angel."

Chloe blinked. "I'm…pretty certain I'm not. Otherwise my mom's got a lot of explaining to do."

"It makes sense." He was talking to himself, his gaze darting about them; looking at everything other than her. "Your nauseating sense of justice, and of course your spawn _must_ be adopted!"

"What?"

"She has brown eyes, and you and the douche both have blue. That's doesn't work out, does it?"

"Actually, that can happen so long as we're both carriers of the brown-eye gene-"

"Prove it to me," he interrupted, determination fixed in his expression. "Lift up your shirt, show me your back, and prove you're not an Angel sent to destroy me."

Chloe nodded and went to untuck her shirt from her skirt, but then paused. "Wait, you've already seen my back." She shivered in an entirely different way at the memory of Lucifer kissing her scar, his warm hands against her skin…

"I only looked at your scar, not anywhere else. At least not thoroughly." He gestured for her to continue.

 _This should prove to him that I'm not his enemy_. She turned and lifted her shirt up, and heard Lucifer cautiously step towards her before his hands pressed against her back. It felt like he was looking for something. "What are you looking for?"

"Signs of wings," he replied, and Chloe wanted to hit herself for not figuring that out. "Scars like mine, or invisible knots…but there's nothing." His touch vanished and he stepped back.

Chloe lowered her shirt and turned to him. "Maybe because I'm not an Angel. I mean, does it work that way with Amenadiel?"

"Sorry?"

"Can you be hurt whenever Amenadiel's around?" she asked.

He shook his head. "He can hurt me himself, but I'm still immortal whenever I'm around him. My powers don't work on him, like they don't work on you…" Realization crossed his face. "But his powers work on you. He can slow down time, and you were affected by it every single time."

"Yeah." She remembered the standoff between Nick and Josh, how Lucifer had been standing in front of her one moment and was then behind her the next… "And I can be hurt by normal things. I've been hurt whenever you're not around."

She had no idea if they were making any progress. On the one hand, they were eliminating possibilities and discussing ideas, as if they were working a case. But on the other hand, Lucifer still looked uncertain and suspicious. It was an expression that Chloe wanted to wipe from his face.

It had been so long since she made a friend. She didn't want to lose him over something she had no knowledge of; no control over.

"Did anything unusual happen during your childhood?" Lucifer asked. "Heavenly beams of light shining down upon you? Miraculously cured of a terminal illness?"

Chloe shook her head. "Not that I know of. Has anything like this ever happened before?"

"No," he replied. "The closest example I can think of is Jesus, but it's not the same. And if you could walk on water or cure blindness, you'd know by now."

"Maybe one of your siblings has encountered something similar?" Chloe asked. "You could ask Amenadiel?"

Lucifer's eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers. "Amenadiel! Of course! This is all _his_ doing!"

Chloe frowned. "I'm not sure I follow."

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Lucifer began to pace. "My big brother wants me to return to Hell, and clearly isn't above killing me in order to do it. So, he either creates you or gives you special abilities; doesn't matter which it is. You're immune to my charms, Detective; it made me curious and drew me closer to you. And you also have the ability to make me mortal. This combination is Amenadiel's plan to send me back to Hell; I'm drawn in by the mystery of you, I get close enough to be hurt in your presence, I die, and go straight back to Hell." He stopped pacing and thought. "The only part that doesn't make sense is he seemingly didn't know about my mortality issue until I told him, which was _after_ I met you. Unless he was only acting the part…"

"That's crazy," said Chloe. She couldn't even begin to wrap her brain around the theory. "How could he create me? He's not your Father. I mean, unless he knew thirty-five years in advance that all this would happen, which sounds unlikely, he'd have to warp reality itself to create me recently – which again, sounds unlikely."

"He could have done what they did on _Buffy_ ," Lucifer suggested.

Surprised that he watched that show, Chloe asked, "Which was? I haven't seen it in years."

"In season five, they created Buffy's annoying brat of a sister through magical means, and inserted her into Buffy's life by altering everyone's memories."

Chloe gave him a doubtful look. "If Amenadiel did that, he'd have to create Trixie, too. And does your brother even _have_ that kind of power?"

"No, you're right. He doesn't." The Devil sighed. "But he may have the power to grant you abilities."

"I didn't notice a change when I met you, or before I met you, rather." She shook her head. "But we don't even know for sure if Amenadiel's responsible."

Before Lucifer could respond, the sound of the elevator doors opening diverted their attention away from their conversation and towards the figure walking slowly towards them. Chloe barely recognized Maze; her usual sexy strut was replaced by cautious steps, like she was uncertain or confused.

The demon didn't even acknowledge the penthouse's occupants, choosing instead to take a seat at the bar and pour herself a drink. She was either intentionally ignoring them, or was so caught up in her own world that she didn't notice them.

It was Lucifer who finally spoke, having observed his demon. "Looks like someone had a good night." When Maze turned slowly towards him, still looking unnaturally confused (Chloe wondered if that look was scarier than her normal intentional scary looks), Lucifer elaborated with, "I know bedhead when I see it."

He was right. Chloe hadn't had sex in a while, but she could still remember the typical "I just had sex" look.

Maze didn't leave her seat, nor did she take her eyes off Lucifer as she took a sip from her drink. "We're talking again?" she asked hesitantly.

"Well, life's too short to hold grudges," said Lucifer.

It was something Chloe had told him, after he'd explained what Maze had done. He'd retorted that he was immortal so life wasn't short for him at all, but the fact that he repeated the words showed that he'd listened.

"Even for immortals," she added. Maze turned to acknowledge her, frowning, which was a step up from her usual glares.

"Doesn't mean all is forgiven, mind," Lucifer continued, pulling Maze's attention back to him. "I mean, you'd have to do something pretty extraordinary to wipe the slate clean."

There was a pause, and Chloe watched the demon carefully as she turned away briefly to look down at her drink. Her expression was one of knowing; actually thoughtful, like something was suddenly occurring to her. An idea. The Detective was taken by surprise when, right before taking another sip of her drink, the demon said, "I had sex with your brother."

Lucifer frowned. He didn't look surprised, just… Puzzled, perhaps? Chloe couldn't be sure, but she was definitely certain that she was never going to understand celestial beings, and they were definitely weird. "And that puts you in my good graces _how_ , exactly?" the Devil asked.

Maze turned to him once more. "I was his inside woman…and now I'm _yours_."

Chloe's eyebrows rose. That could be useful, especially since it was still possible that he was behind her immunity to Lucifer's powers and why he was vulnerable around her… Honestly, she didn't buy that, but being a Detective meant chasing every lead and looking into every possibility. And until they found concrete proof that he had nothing to do with it…

Lucifer was nodding and smiling. He appeared pleased with Maze's plan. "Yes, well, I suppose that _could_ come in handy. Especially since he just tried to kill me."

"What?!" Maze immediately leapt down from her stool and strode across the floor towards her boss. Her keen gaze caught sight of the bullet hole in the Armani suit. "Wait, you were shot?!"

"Mm hmm."

The demon's gaze shifted between the bullet hole and Lucifer's face. "And you didn't bleed?"

"He hired a gunman," Lucifer explained.

When Maze looked between them for elaboration, Chloe explained, "A sleezeball named Malcolm Graham. He's a cop on the take, or at least he was before Dan shot him. He was supposed to have died a few weeks ago, but Amenadiel brought him back for the sole purpose of killing Lucifer."

What she didn't understand, though, was _why_? Why go through the trouble of resurrecting a dead cop when there were plenty of living scumbags to do the job? She supposed that it was to do with the leverage Lucifer mentioned; threatening to send Malcolm back to Hell if he didn't comply. But there were still plenty of men and women would could be convinced to kill someone for less. It all seemed overly elaborate.

"I talked the chap out of it," Lucifer continued, "but then this demented social… I mean, it's a long story, but… I survived. Which is more than can be said for my Armani."

Maze shook her head. "But I don't understand. How could you still be alive?"

For some reason, Lucifer hesitated to answer, so Chloe spoke for him. "He's still alive because I wasn't here. Apparently, my presence makes him mortal. And now we're just trying to figure out why."

In that moment, Chloe realized why Lucifer had hesitated to tell the demon. Maze's expression lost its unnatural confusion and was replaced with the familiar death glare that the Detective had grown accustomed to. "You can kill him?"

"She's not trying to kill me, Maze," Lucifer quickly explained. "Her presence simply makes me vulnerable to mortal wounds. It's not something she's causing intentionally." His words proved that he believed her when she'd said she didn't have a clue. Chloe was relieved that she hadn't lost a friend, after all.

But her relief was short lived when the demon's death glare turned deadlier, if that was even possible. "Doesn't matter." Suddenly Maze pulled out a pair of knives from literally nowhere (Chloe couldn't understand _how_ the demon could hide them in her tight leather) and leapt forwards.

Too late did Chloe remember that her gun was inside the purse she'd left on the bar, but she didn't have to worry. With a burst of supernatural speed, Lucifer placed himself between her and Maze, blocking the demon's path.

"I'd think long and hard before you strike, Mazikeen." The icy and smooth dangerous tone in his voice had returned, though it sounded ten times as deadly compared to when he'd used it on her only minutes before. Heck, it sounded even more deadly than when he used it on criminals.

The demon just glared up at him. "I've been thinking about this for a long time. Every day was a party; every sin, every desire LA offered, we took part. And then you met _her_." Her glare returned to Chloe. "These days she knows you better than I do."

"So, what?" Chloe spoke up. "You think it's my fault that the party's over?"

"I should've killed you when I had the chance!"

Lucifer's arm shot out and his hand wrapped around Maze's neck, before he lifted her completely off the floor. Maze dropped her knives and her hands went to Lucifer's own in an effort to force him to let go, but his grip was like a vice.

Chloe wondered briefly if immortals could die of strangulation, before the situation caught up with her and she surged forwards. "Lucifer!" Stepping around to his front, Chloe managed to stop herself from gasping at the red fire in his eyes. She hadn't seen them since the night she'd seen his wings, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop the familiar fear from creeping over her.

"You _dared_ to disobey me?" Lucifer growled. It sounded almost animal-like. "You serve me, Mazikeen. What other betrayals have you been planning, hmm? Not that it matters. You won't exist long enough to carry them out."

When Chloe saw his hand squeeze tighter, she pushed her fear away and grabbed his arm. "Lucifer, stop!"

Then his eyes were on her, and it took all of her self-control not to get lost in his two pools of fire. She wasn't about to let herself faint again.

" _Why_?" he demanded. His voice had lost its growl, having softened slightly with his attention on her. "She tried to _kill_ you! She deserves to be punished!"

The hurt that seeped into his words managed to ground her. He was angry and upset because she'd been in danger. It solidified the fact that no matter how frightening he looked, Lucifer would never hurt her.

"Yes, she does, but not like this," the Detective explained. "Look, she didn't kill me. I'm OK."

"She nearly did before, and she tried just then. She could try again."

Switching tactics, Chloe said, "But she's your inside woman. We still don't know if Amenadiel is behind whatever's going on with me. Maze could find out for us."

That seemed to convince him – or he never intended to hurt his demon, and he just needed a moment to calm down. Either way, the fire in his eyes faded away before he let go of Maze and let her drop.

The demon landed on her feet and took a moment to recover; she rubbed her neck and winced. "You're turning more and more human by the day," she said, her tone almost taunting.

 _Is she suicidal?_ Chloe rolled her eyes. _I won't save her a second time_.

Lucifer's eyes flashed once. "Tread carefully, Maze. If you even _consider_ trying to hurt Chloe again, I'll rip out your spine and beat you to death with it."

 _And_ she so didn't need that visual. Utilising her cop training, Chloe kept her heartrate under control and took in a deep breath, which she released slowly.

She sometimes forgot that Lucifer was the Devil. It was easy to because he acted so _human_ , even when he denied it. She wondered if it was dangerous to forget that fact; to forget that he was a powerful Fallen Archangel who could throw a man through glass with one hand, shake off bullets as if they were nothing (at least when she wasn't around) and scare the shit out of anyone who crossed the wrong side of him.

Perhaps it was, because forgetting meant that when she _was_ suddenly reminded of who and what he was, she was left feeling overwhelmed by it all. _Like now_.

Chloe hadn't forgotten that Lucifer would never hurt her, even during his moments of rage. That last one had been in her protection, after all. But she needed to leave; to distance herself from him and regroup, if only for an evening. She needed time to breathe.

"I need to go," she said, hurrying past the celestial beings in order to grab her purse from the bar.

When she turned back to them, the look on Lucifer's face broke her heart. Any trace of the Devil had vanished, and instead he appeared hurt and close to breaking. Worse so than when he thought she was against him. "Detective-"

"I'm not afraid of you," she assured him. "I know you'll never hurt me. It's just… That was a little overwhelming. I need to regroup with myself. You're _not_ chasing me away, I promise."

The Devil looked uncertain, but some of the hurt faded away and he nodded. "I understand, Detective."

Chloe nodded in return. "I'll call tomorrow, OK?"

He didn't reply; only watched her. She took it as her cue to step into the elevator.

* * *

Chloe didn't get much sleep that night.

But contrary to what people would think – and by 'people' she meant Lucifer – what kept her up wasn't the Hellfire in the Devil's eyes, nor the inhuman power he had demonstrated. It had taken all of five minutes away from Lucifer to calm herself and get a grip on the feelings that had threatened to overwhelm her.

Instead what kept her up was the revelation that she could hurt Lucifer, her best friend, just by being near him. The implications of what it meant were starting to sink it.

It would be one thing if it was emotional; that they could hurt each other emotionally because they let their guard down around one another. But no, it was _physical_. He could _die_ if she was close by, which didn't sit well with her at all. She cared about Lucifer more than she ever thought she would, and if she got him killed simply because she wanted a friend…

She would never forgive herself.

There was also the added knowledge that she was possibly being used intentionally by Amenadiel in order to hurt Lucifer, though that just made her angry instead of distressed. She hated being used, and she hated that it was with the intention of harming her friend.

When morning came and tiredness buzzed in her head, Chloe made herself an extra cup of coffee to stay awake. Trixie finished her breakfast and had disappeared into her room to change when Chloe's phone rang.

She picked it up without looking at the screen. "Decker."

" _Detective_." Lucifer's voice sounded…well, small and uncertain, which was in itself unnatural. He always sounded so suave and smug, even on the phone. " _Can we talk, or is this a bad time?_ "

He was trying to act like nothing was wrong; like they hadn't discovered only the night before that she made him vulnerable, _literally_ , and that he hadn't almost ripped his demon apart in her defence.

Chloe understood why. He didn't want to face the possibility that he would no longer be welcome in her home, or that things would be different between them. She supposed that was why he called instead of showing up in person.

But there was no reason for him to worry. She'd calmed down, and things were back to the way they were before – or as much as they could be, with the mystery of what she was hanging over their heads.

In an attempt to lighten the mood and change him back to his usual self, Chloe asked, "Who will I be talking to? Saint Lucifer, or the Devil?" She nailed the teasing tone, letting him know that nothing had changed between them.

There was a sigh on the other end of the line, and despite not being able to see him, Chloe could picture his actions; his small smile, and his relief washing away the tension in his shoulders. " _Rest assured, Saint Lucifer's retired._ "

"Really?" His words reminded her of a text she'd received right after she'd arrived home, so she continued with, "Because last night I got a text from Kyle saying that someone gave money to Emmett's scholarship fund. An anonymous donor."

There was a pause on the other end. " _Well. Good for Emmett. Glad it worked out_."

No lie. No denial. Chloe saw right through him, even when she couldn't _physically_ see him. "Mm hmm." When Lucifer remained silent, she asked, "So what did you want to talk about?" But of course, she already knew. After what had happened the previous night, what else would they talk about?

" _I…_ " He hesitated, sighed, and began again. " _I wanted to make sure you were OK_."

"I am," she said. "I'm not afraid of you, Lucifer. It just took me by surprise."

" _What did?_ "

"That I forgot you're the Devil. I just needed to get some space and unwind, but nothing's changed, OK?" Her smile faltered a little. "Except for the whole 'me making you vulnerable' part…"

" _That's not your fault_."

"I know." She sighed. "Maybe it's best if I stay away for a while. At least until you've figured out what's going on." It would be for the best, she reasoned. All she could see in her mind's eyes was the confrontation with Jimmy Barnes going in another direction: Lucifer getting shot in the back and not getting up again…

She had to put Lucifer before herself. It would be hard and boring not having him around, but at least he would be _safe_.

There was silence on the other end of the phone. She wondered for a moment if Lucifer had heard her. " _Very well, Detective. I understand_."

His tone of voice caught her attention, and immediately she realized how he'd interpreted her request. Right after leaving him the night before, she wasn't surprised. "Lucifer, no!" she said quickly, before he had the chance to hang up. "It's not like that."

" _There's no need to lie to me, Detective_ ," he said, his voice resigned. " _You were reminded last night that I'm the last person you should be keeping company with, and you want out. I understand, truly. The least you can do is be honest with me_."

It was a good thing he had called her instead of stopping by, so she couldn't slap him silly. "I'm not trying to avoid you, Lucifer! I don't want to! And I already said that I'm OK! That's not the reason I said-"

" _Then what is the reason then, hmm? Detective? Why else would you want to stay away?_ "

"Because I could potentially _kill_ my best friend just by being _near_ him!" She didn't mean to yell. But she reasoned it was the only way she was going to get through to him. "I…I don't want you to die, Lucifer. And if we're working a case and you get shot and it kills you because I'm with you…" Crap, and now she was crying…

"Mommy?" Chloe turned around and found Trixie hovering by the threshold of her bedroom, sending her a worried look. "Are you OK?"

Chloe angled the phone away from her mouth and put on a smile. "I'm fine. Just grown-up stuff. Stay in your room for a minute, OK?" Once Trixie was gone, Chloe turned her attention back to the phone and realized that Lucifer hadn't said anything. She quickly glanced at her phone and confirmed that he hadn't hung up. "Lucifer?"

" _Detective…_ " His voice sounded…almost overwhelmed. " _You really mean what you said?_ "

 _I swear, when I make it up to Heaven, I'm gonna give his Dad a piece of my mind for making him feel this way; like he's not worthy of someone's attention and care_. "Yes!" she replied. "You're my partner and friend, Lucifer. And I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

There was silence again, and Chloe wondered if he believed her, or if she needed to say more in order to convince him that she meant it. She opened her mouth to speak further, but Lucifer beat her to it. " _No one has ever…thought of me like that. Put my needs over their own. I don't… I don't really know how to feel about that_."

"Get used to it." The Detective smiled as she wiped away her tears.

She heard him chuckle. " _Sounds like I don't have any say in the matter. But…while I appreciate your thoughtfulness, I don't want you to stay away._ "

Chloe pictured the street gang firing on them, Lucifer going down and not moving… "Lucifer, you could die-"

" _So could you. You're not immortal, Detective,_ " he explained. " _Anyone can die any day. That's part of life. And I would rather die by your side than live without you. I…I don't want to be without you, Chloe. We're partners, friends. And I know you don't want to stay away from me; that it'll hurt you to stay away. I truly commend you for what you're trying to do, but if it'll just make both of us unhappy, then what's the point? And you said yourself that we'll figure this out together. How can we do that if you avoid me?_ "

A lump formed in her throat, and she swallowed it with a sharp inhale. He was right. Of course he was. After Trixie was born, she'd had so many thoughts about quitting her job, fearing the dangers would deprive her daughter of a mother. But while the risks were higher, she could die in other jobs, too. She'd even had a case where a woman working as a maid had slipped on a wet floor, bumped her head and died of a brain haemorrhage it caused.

Avoiding something because of a risk and depriving herself of happiness… There was risk everywhere. And Lucifer clearly didn't care that she could kill him. She still cared…but avoiding him wasn't the answer.

"You're right," she told him at last. "I'm sorry."

" _Could you repeat that? I didn't quite hear you_."

 _And_ he was back to being an asshole again. But she was glad. "Shut up."

* * *

"Is he going to report it?"

Chloe glanced sideways at Dan, and for a moment she didn't answer. The final signings had gone well; Dan hadn't protested to any of her demands, and it was all over quickly. Their marriage was officially over.

As they walked out of the building, Chloe itched to get out of her business attire. She'd always preferred working in her jeans. Though Dan's question told her that her journey home was going to be delayed. She really didn't want to talk about what had happened, but the sooner the better. They had to talk about it at some point, and it was better discussed when they were alone.

"No," she replied. "No one saw Malcolm enter the building. And speaking out about it will make things worse. Nobody believed me when I tried to speak out," She sent her ex-husband a well-deserved glare, "and they won't this time, either. Especially since Lucifer's my partner."

"We need to find another way." Dan sighed. "I'll keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't try anything. Maybe if he attempts it again, I can give you a head's up and we can catch him in the act."

Chloe shrugged. "Or you can admit to removing that gun from evidence. Along with everything that happened at Palmetto."

"You know what will happen to me," he explained. "Do you think that's best for Trixie? Seeing her dad in jail?"

"It's not about what's best for Trixie. All you're thinking about is what's best for you, and you know it." And yet, she couldn't help picturing her little girl's face; the distraught and heartbreak. It would crush her daughter, and it was that very fact which stopped her from turning Dan in herself. "But you're right. Maybe you don't have to confess to Palmetto, but saying that Malcolm told you to get that gun for him-"

"They'd want a reason," Dan pointed out. "And what do I tell them?"

She sighed. "I don't know. I guess we'll have to wait it out."

"I know it's a mess-"

"A mess _you_ caused," she said. "If you had confessed all those months ago, at least to me, then we could've figured this out together, and Malcolm would've been put behind bars the moment he woke up." If he'd even woken up at all in that scenario. Chloe doubted that Amenadiel would've chosen a cop doomed to jail. "And from what you told me, you acted in defence, which justifies your actions. You would've been in the clear. But now? You interfered with justice by withholding information, for _months_. And that puts you in even more trouble."

"I know, and I'm sorry."

"You already said that." Chloe sighed again, wishing that Lucifer was with her. They'd met up since his phone call the other morning, and neither were any closer to figuring out what was going on with her.

She realized it would take longer than the average homicide case. A lot longer, most likely. But it didn't deter her. She was going to stick by Lucifer and help him out, no matter what. Because he deserved someone who didn't abandon him when things got rough. She wasn't about to do to him what Dan did to her.

They stopped walking when they reached her car, and Dan spoke again. "You still want me away from Trixie?"

After a pause, she nodded. "For now. Until I know I can trust you again, and that you can change. But honestly, it won't be any different than before, when you were hardly around." It was a low blow and she knew it, but she couldn't help herself.

Dan looked away. "I will try and make things right."

"Try harder. Because right now, I don't believe you." Chloe refused to hear what else he had to say; she climbed into the car and drove away, not looking back.

She needed to hurry home and change if she wanted to meet Lucifer on time.


	8. Chapter Eight: Call Me Devil

**AN: Enjoy!**

* * *

Chloe was in the middle of her morning routine at the precinct when the fire alarm sounded.

After pulling Lucifer away from the vending machine (he insisted that a fire wouldn't bother him, the Devil of all beings, once she was away from him, but then came willingly when she threatened to drag him out by the ear), the pair followed everyone outside the building. It was only when heads were being counted at the meeting point in the parking lot did Chloe realize that someone was missing.

"Where's Dan?" He was the last person she wanted to see after leaving him at the courthouse the other day, but she didn't want him to die in a fire. When glancing around, she noticed Lucifer trying to cover his grin – which made her immediately suspicious. "Lucifer, what did you do?"

"Nothing, Detective!" He quickly swept his gaze over the cops surrounding them before leaning in and whispering, "Except I asked Maze to punish Detective Douche on my behalf. It was the only way I could get her to agree to leave you alone."

"You _what_?" She resisted the urge to smack him. The last thing they needed was the attention of her co-workers. "You asked Maze to purposely set off a fire alarm?!"

"No, of course not!" His grin widened. "So, either she did it of her own violation, or Dad has a wonderful sense of humour."

"Wait…" Chloe frowned. "If you didn't ask her to set it off, then what…?" She trailed off when her co-workers erupted into a chorus of laughter. Turning to see what they were laughing at, she froze.

Dan was hurrying across the parking lot…completely naked. His private parts were only covered by a file he most likely had picked up on the way out.

He was wearing nothing but one thing: a look of anger.

Chloe couldn't help herself; she burst out laughing.

"Espinoza!" Olivia Monroe stepped towards him, visibly trying to keep a straight face. "What is the meaning of this?"

Dan came to a halt before her. "I was in the shower when the alarm went off," he replied, and Chloe noticed that he was still wet. "I jumped out, but…someone took my towel. And…all my clothes."

Chloe attempted to glare at her partner, but since she was still laughing it wasn't very effective. Lucifer just looked sinfully innocent.

When she finally stopped, she hissed to him, "You got Maze to steal Dan's clothes?!"

"And his towel. This is a much better outcome than the one I anticipated, I must admit."

Once Dan was done talking to Monroe, he of course stormed over to them with his gaze fixed on Lucifer. Because who else would be responsible? "You. Are in trouble. Where did you hide my clothes?"

Lucifer admired Dan's chest. "Not bad, Detective Douche. Divorce becomes you."

Chloe screwed her eyes shut and pushed away the image of her partner in bed with her ex. Not that there was anything wrong with picturing Lucifer in bed with another man; on the contrary, she could list a number of actors she wouldn't mind catching Lucifer in bed with, and not having sex for months was starting to obviously have an effect on her, she needed to stop having sexual fantasies _right now_ …

"You stole my clothes!"

The Devil rolled his eyes. "No, I didn't. I didn't steal your clothes, and I didn't steal your towel. I don't lie. Devil's honour."

Dan scoffed.

"He's telling the truth, Dan," Chloe spoke up. "He was with me all morning. There's no way he could've snuck away to pull a prank."

"Perhaps, Detective Douche, you should consider this karma catching up with you." Lucifer's eyes narrowed dangerously. "So maybe in the future, treat your wife how she deserves to be treated."

His words calmed Dan's anger a little, but her ex still silently fumed as they waited for the all clear from the Fire Department. One of their co-workers eventually took pity and gave Dan their coat.

Eventually the Fire Department let them back inside, and explained what had set the alarms off: a match had been dropped in one of the bins, igniting a fire purposely.

"A similar thing happened at our normal location," Chloe explained to Lucifer, once they were back at her desk. "The whole place was gutted. The refurbishments are nearly done, now that I think about it. We can move back in over a month."

"So I'll have to learn a new location?"

"Mm hmm. But as I was saying, we never found out who caused it," she continued. "Are you sure Maze didn't start it this time?"

Lucifer nodded. "She likes to brag about her sins. If she said she didn't do it, she didn't."

It only occurred to Chloe later that while she saw him come in that morning, she hadn't seen Malcolm since.

* * *

Chloe paced the waiting room, wondering what was taking Lucifer so long. They'd only gone to Linda for advice, and then Lucifer had asked for a quick chat, but that "quick chat" was already half an hour long, and they needed to get back to the precinct to wrap up the case…

She sighed. Lucifer was in therapy for a reason. He clearly needed to talk to someone who wasn't her, and she couldn't judge him.

Their latest case had been an eye-opener, at least for him. Cressida Cadogan, aged forty-five, was found in her apartment by a neighbour with what appeared to be self-inflicted stab wounds to her chest. All the evidence pointed towards suicide, especially after learning that her husband Christo had killed himself ten years before.

But Chloe hadn't been so sure, especially when the neighbour who found her explained that Cressida had been happier in her last week of life. She also mentioned that a fifteen-year-old girl had been stopping by.

The girl in question was tracked and found; her name was Dawn Gosling. She refused to say anything until Lucifer used his "Devil Mojo" on her, leading her to confess something that caught them all off-guard: her real name was Kaia Cadogan, and she'd recently discovered that she'd been abducted from Cressida and Christo when she was only a year old.

Everything matched up. The reason Christo had committed suicide was because the LAPD had closed the case after four years of no leads, and Cressida had been in therapy ever since. A DNA test gave them the proof they needed, and Chloe arrested Dawn's adoptive parents, Rain and Jeremiah Gosling, on suspicion of kidnapping.

It soon became apparent that the pair weren't responsible; Lucifer's trick revealed that they were loving parents, and had no idea about the abduction. Though they admitted that they were so desperate for a child that they blindly paid the fee that had been requested when adopting Dawn, which was wrong, but not technically illegal, and Chloe could sympathise with their situation. Her father had told her stories about how they hadn't been able to conceive before she came along, and she herself had trouble conceiving with Dan until they had Trixie.

Questioning Rain was what finally led them to the murderer; she said that the adoption agency came recommended by her friend, Trinity Hannigan – and a picture confirmed her as another one of Cressida's neighbours. They found her in the process of trying to murder Dawn, along with a conspirator: Rupert Leslie, who worked at the adoption agency as a reliable agent on the outside, but on the inside…

Lucifer managed to scare the truth out of them. Trinity would abduct young children and bring them to Rupert, who would "sell" the children to desperate parents under the table while making it look like the entire thing was legal. It was sickening, but with the pair in custody they could track down all the other children who had been taken. There was going to be a lot of tears and a lot of heartache, with many children realizing their lives were a lie, but it was the right thing to do.

With both her biological parents dead, Dawn was staying with her adoptive parents, though it was advised for her to seek therapy after everything that had happened; it was why they'd sought out Linda for advice. But it was already a good start that Dawn had forgiven her adoptive parents. Because at the end of the day, they hadn't known; they hadn't known she'd been taken, and loved her like any parents would.

And that had connected with what they were going through. If Chloe was being used against Lucifer in some way, she hadn't known. She was a victim in the situation as much as he was. After three weeks, she thought he knew that. But he was taking a long time with Linda, so maybe not…

Her phone buzzed, and she looked at the screen. Dan. As much as she didn't want to talk to him, it was likely he had another case for them, so she picked up. "Decker."

" _Chloe, we've got a case. All hands-on-deck. And…bring Lucifer with you. As much as I hate the guy, even I can admit we'll need him on this one_."

She frowned. "Why?"

" _It's best if you come and see for yourself. I'll send the directions to your phone._ " He hung up, and her phone buzzed again with the address. Chloe tucked her phone away before she made her way to Linda's office. She went to knock, but couldn't help but overhear what was being said.

"And now you don't trust her anymore?"

"Of course I trust her! At least, I trust that she has no idea what's going on. It's just this whole…immortality thing," Lucifer was saying. "For some reason, Detective Decker makes me vulnerable."

"Also known as intimacy," said Linda.

"No, she _literally_ makes me exsanguinate!"

Chloe bit her lip. Was Lucifer really that terrified that she was potentially being used against him?

"Being vulnerable can be scary," Linda explained to him. "But there are benefits when you open yourself up to someone."

Lucifer sighed, his frustration evident. Chloe thought he should go easy on the woman; she had no idea who he really was, nor did she know just how literal the entire situation was. "I just wish I knew who was behind this! My Dad? Brother? Someone else?"

"Maybe we should explore the possibility that being vulnerable can be a good thing-"

"No, it can't! It means you're at someone else's mercy!"

Chloe closed her eyes, sighing. She used to think the same, that being vulnerable would only get her hurt in the long run. It had proven to be true so many times; with her old friends in school, her acting "friends", losing Caitlin, Dan… Every time she opened up and let her guard down around someone, she only got hurt in the end. It was a risk, one she had taken too many times, and had vowed never to do again after things went south with her ex.

Lucifer had changed that. Letting her guard down with him was natural, something that had happened without even conscious choice. She wanted him to feel that same trust; wanted him to open up to her more than he already had. Linda was right: being vulnerable was a good thing. And maybe you were at someone else's mercy – but if it was someone you trusted, was that a bad thing?

"Then maybe you should just stay away from everybody," said Linda. "Stay away from Chloe."

Her heart caught in her throat at the thought of Lucifer leaving her. He hadn't before; had been more afraid of her leaving _him_ , really. But with Linda suggesting it and with worrying thoughts still weighing him down, maybe he would…

"But…I don't want to."

She smiled as relief washed through her.

* * *

They were driving to the theatre when Lucifer turned to her and asked, "So how long were you eavesdropping, Detective?"

Chloe sighed. She should've known he'd be able to sense her with his stupid supernatural senses. "I didn't mean to. I came to get you for the case, and I just…overheard. But I'm sorry. It was a private conversation, and I should've known better."

"Oh, I'm not angry with you, Detective," he assured her. "I'm not even surprised that you were snooping around. It's in your job description, after all."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course."

"But how long were you listening?"

She sighed again. "Long enough." A quick glance at him confirmed his worried expression. "You should've mentioned you were still worried about this. About us."

"I didn't want to cause an unnecessary argument or disagreement," he explained. "It's not easy to accept; that you could be an unwilling pawn in someone else's game, be it my Father's or my brother's. Are you not even worried in the slightest?"

"I am, a little bit," Chloe admitted. "But like a good detective, I'm pushing that aside in order to focus on solving the mystery. And only afterwards do I worry about the implications. So let's just focus on figuring out what's going on before falling to pieces."

"Right."

"Has Maze found out anything yet?"

Lucifer shook his head. "She says she doesn't think Amenadiel's behind it, but as you put it once, feelings don't count as probable cause. Either way, I've asked her to send him back to High Heaven. Forcibly."

Chloe's eyebrow rose. "She's going to kill him?"

"That's your way of putting it, but it's not death. For us, anyway," the Devil explained. "His soul just returns to Heaven – which is right where he wants to be, so it's win-win for everyone involved, don't you think?"

 _I can't believe I'm involved with this shit_. "Just make sure she hides the body."

He smirked. "Oh, naughty, Detective. Lucifer _likes_."

She resisted the urge to slap him as they parked up outside the theatre. Chloe rolled her eyes at the film being shown – _The Beast with Five Fingers_ ; she was _so_ glad she escaped the business the first chance she got – before she led Lucifer through a crowd of protestors that had converged around the front doors.

It took her a moment for their chants to register. "Satan's here, but God is near!" She frowned, thinking back to Dan's words, about how Lucifer was needed on the case…

"You!" She stopped walking and turned her gaze to a balding man in a suit. Lucifer stopped beside her, and Chloe realized that the man was staring straight at her partner. "Evil is here. Evil is here!" He turned back to the crowd and appeared to be urging them on.

Chloe turned to her partner. "Friend of yours?"

"I vaguely remember him, yes." Lucifer was frowning. "A doom and gloom street preacher I encountered not long after meeting you. He was entertaining until he admitted that his performance was actually that: a performance. He didn't even believe in what he was saying. If there's one thing the Devil can't stand, it's a fake."

"So you gave him a taste of Hellfire Lucifer?" Chloe guessed.

He nodded, and Chloe was surprised by his lack of glee that usually accompanied his tales of punishment. He almost looked…regretful. "Yes."

Chloe tugged on his sleeve and led him inside, where Dan was waiting for them. There were cops everywhere, and Chloe was dismayed to see Malcolm there, too. It was bad enough that they still didn't have any evidence to prove he was dirty; the fire at the precinct proved that he was an expert at covering his tracks. She suspected that he'd been behind the larger fire at their usual precinct, but that was just a hunch.

"We don't know a lot yet," Dan was saying as they walked towards the stage, "but we found the victim's purse in a dumpster behind the theatre. Her name's Rose Davis, she's nineteen, and she's a freshman at Pasadena City College."

The body was lying on the stage and covered in a sheet. There was no sign as to why Lucifer was needed apart from the anti-Satan protesting outside… "Cause of death?" she asked.

"Multiple stab wounds," Dan replied. "Looks like a crime of passion, so it's likely that she knew guy who did this."

Lucifer frowned. "Don't always assume that the killer's a male. Hell is full of murderous women. Did you know that Jack the Ripper was actually a woman?"

Chloe's eyebrow rose. _I'll be asking him about that later_.

"Well, unless this woman's insanely strong, the wounds were definitely inflicted by a male," said Dan, before turning to one of the lab techs. "Take the sheet off."

The sheet was pulled back to reveal a young college girl; she was white with blonde hair, and was wearing a white dress. There were no shoes, and a star had been painted on the floor with black paint, with the body positioned in the centre. Chloe was reminded of a typical blood sacrifice that was always shown in terrible Hollywood flicks about Satan and the Devil…

Oh…

"Well, that _is_ unfortunate," said Lucifer, unaware of Chloe's realization. "But I don't understand why you need me on this case?"

"Roll her over," said Dan.

The lab tech did as asked…revealing an inscription on her back, which had been carved into her with a knife. "That's why," Chloe said aloud, horrified by what she was seeing. There was blood everywhere, and Chloe had seen enough crime scenes to know that the scars were _not_ added post-mortem. They had been carved when she was still alive. _The pain that poor girl must've been in…_

"Hail Lucifer?" Lucifer read. He was suddenly deadly serious, and Chloe couldn't blame him.

Pushing back the urge to comfort her friend, Chloe set to work. She took off her jacket and accepted the pair of rubber gloves Dan passed to her. "No shoes?"

"Not in the dumpster with her purse," her ex replied, as they stepped away from the body. "We searched the place, but nothing. It's possible she was taken from her home, or wherever she was staying."

"Or the guy could've kidnapped her off the street and forced her into this…garb." Chloe gestured to the white dress. Lucifer knelt beside the body, unusually silent. "This is like a sacrifice in one of those old movies."

Dan nodded. "That's why I thought Lucifer could help. He's into all this Devil stuff."

"He would never do something like this," said Chloe with certainty. She couldn't imagine her sweet Lucifer being even close to capable of such an act.

"But he could know the type who would," said Dan. "It'll give us some leads. A place to start looking."

"You said the guy would know her?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but someone already asked around the college, and she wasn't exactly the most sociable of students. Everyone barely knew her. Her father's also been contacted; he lives out of town, not even close enough for him to be responsible."

"But he could shed some light. Tell him to meet me at Rose's home. I'll take Lucifer and we can question him."

She found a notepad and started jotting things down while Dan left to make the call. Lucifer was still knelt by the body, and Chloe didn't have the heart to try and wrangle him into some rubber gloves. _He's not going to be messing with evidence this time_.

The Devil finally spoke after a number of minutes. "This is sickening."

"I know," said Chloe. "It's horrific."

"No, I mean to blame it on me. It's an atrocity." Lucifer rose to his feet. "These…Satanists. Misguided cult knob-heads with Frisbees in their earlobes. This poor girl's death has nothing to do with me, Detective."

She placed her hand on his arm and gave him a comforting squeeze. "I know. No one is blaming you, Lucifer. Dan just thought you could help. How much do you know about this sort of thing?"

"Well, most of them get exactly what they want in the end: a one-way ticket to Hell." Maybe it was a trick of the light, but she saw a flash of fire in his eyes. Would he really do that with everyone around him, and with the subject matter of the case? "But they soon regret ever wanting to."

"This is your fault!" They both turned in the direction of the door at the far end of the room. The preacher from before was inside, and was marching towards the stage with an accusing finger pointed at Lucifer. "You're the Devil! You're the King of all evil! You're the King of all lies! You must be destroyed!"

Chloe placed herself in front of her friend, but before the preacher could reach the stage, Malcolm stepped in his path. "I'll give you a fight if you don't get out of my crime scene, pal!" He pushed the preacher into the waiting arms of two other cops.

"Detective."

She looked down and realized she was squeezing Lucifer's arm tight enough to cause bruising. "Sorry. Who even let that guy through?" The entire scene was closed off. She was definitely going to be having words with the cops at the front…

Malcolm walked back to them with a huge grin on his face. "No thanks necessary. I just wanted to do my part for the man of the hour." And then he winked.

Chloe fought the urge to punch the man in the face. _You tried to kill Lucifer, you bastard. And I can't wait to bring you down. Won't be smiling then, will you?_

"Yes, the wink _with_ the porn stash is sending the wrong message, don't you think?" Lucifer quipped, and despite the circumstances, Chloe couldn't help but grin.

* * *

The meeting with Phil Davies opened some doors, rather literally. Rose was into the Satanism craze, meaning that it was likely someone she knew had in fact killed her. Over what, Chloe didn't know. Rose's father hadn't even been aware of his daughter's activities – and she swore that Lucifer lit up like a kid at Christmas whenever they encountered an "absentee" father – so wasn't of any further help. The only real lead was the word Corazón and the subdermal implants that had been found on Rose's arm.

"Listen to this: Satan represents a beacon of honesty in a sea of mass self-deceit." And Lucifer, like usual, wasn't helping in the slightest, instead engrossed in the Devil's Bible – or Book of Satan, as he'd dubbed it – they had taken from Rose's home. "Mm. Oh, hello. There's a whole chapter on sex. I like this book."

On the one hand, at least he was back to his old self. On the other, she needed _help_. "Can you please stop reading that? We need to catch this guy before he kills someone else. I thought you wanted to find him?"

"I do!" He slammed the book shut but didn't move from where he was leaning against her desk. "And we already know who we're looking for: a large man who isn't a fan of bathing. Wasn't that abnormally large shoe clue enough for you?"

She rolled her eyes, trying to forget how he'd yelled, _"Hello! Bad guys!"_ into the secret room when they'd first discovered it. Sometimes she wondered if she was a mother of two instead of one. "Have you ever eaten their offerings? The chicken, I mean."

"As I said before: no, on the grounds of salmonella."

"So you've never been to any of their rituals?"

"I've taken a peek on occasion," he admitted. "Some of the more over-the-top ones could be amusing. But I never stayed long. They became too bloody depressing."

She didn't ask why, because she could already guess; they gave him a bad name, worshiping him because they thought he was "evil" and approved of all the bad things they did. If only they knew the truth… "Too bad, because I thought you'd be able to spot the ones who take these things too seriously. Phil Davies may not know his daughter anymore, but I think he was right about one thing: even if she was into all…this, she wouldn't have sacrificed herself. We checked her phone, and she sounded pretty loving with her boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?"

"Corazón. We've been trying to contact him, but there's no reply." She sighed at the rice grains she was rearranging on the tray in front of her. "So far, Rose's subdermal implants are the only lead we have. I'm pretty sure they're letters, but I've arranged them a hundred different ways, and I can't come up with anything significant." She mixed them around again. "I…hurl…feces?" He frowned at her and she shook her head. "No."

She felt him lean over her and he sighed. "Oh, bloody hell." He quickly rearranged the grains into two words which, to her, looked like nonsense. "Filii Hircus. It's Latin. It means Children of the Goat. Why do they always associate me with goats? I mean, I don't even like their _cheese_."

She ignored the teasing potential – for the time being anyway, they had time for that later – and typed the term into her laptop.

* * *

Getting into the meeting hadn't been a problem. Lucifer flashing his eyes at the man answering the door had proved efficient (though he'd initially mistaken Chloe's "flash him" instructions for something else entirely, and Chloe _so_ didn't want to think about that) even though she was still left wondering why the guy assumed that Lucifer was supposed to be blonde. And why Lucifer got that a lot.

"That's a long story for another time," he'd said, after commenting that he should've brought his sexy mask.

The biggest surprise, though, was what they found inside. Instead of another sacrifice, they had instead walked in on a wake being held for Rose. It was actually kind of touching, and it made Chloe feel guilty busting in on it, and for assuming that the group were all cold-blooded murderers.

But Lucifer didn't feel guilty and seemed all too happy to interrupt their wake (the goat's head had crossed the line, apparently). Though his display had fished out the High Priest, Mitch, who was co-operative with their questions if a little snarky at first (his "The Devil's a cop now?" quip nearly had Chloe snickering with how much if annoyed her partner), and he wasn't even the least bit threatening; he wanted out of the "church", calling it a joke. He didn't even believe in the whole thing.

Which Lucifer was surprised by. "Are you saying you don't believe in Lucifer?"

"Look, mate. The Devil ain't gonna buy me an Aston Martin."

"Not with that attitude, he won't."

She agreed about the philosophy and could see why the guy liked it; it was about free will, and the idea that humans were responsible for their own sins instead of blaming it on the Devil. But she also agreed that the whole thing attracted "a lot of weirdos who take it _way_ too seriously", as Mitch put it. There was no question that he thought one of these "weirdos" was responsible for Rose's death.

He answered the mystery about the subdermal implants; all the hard-core members got them, and he even explained that he'd been trying to tell Rose she would regret it later, before going on to mention that her boyfriend, Corazón, was the one who brought her into the "church".

"Man, that guy's a creeper," Mitch said with a look of disgust. "He kept talking about doing real sacrifices on animals."

 _And animal sacrifices could potentially lead to human sacrifices…_ "Did Corazón have access to this knife? It would definitely match the marks found on Rose's body."

"It's just for show." Mitch picked the knife up and pressed it against the palm of his hand. He pushed against it, but instead of drawing blood, the blade pushed backwards into the handle. "The blade springs inside the handle. It's not even metal; just plastic. But we do have an actual version." He walked over to a table where a black box was resting. He lifted the lid up…to find nothing inside. "Now it's gone. That bastard…"

Chloe turned to Lucifer. "OK, we need to find Corazón now." Turning back to Mitch, she asked, "Do you have his real name? His address?"

"Give me a sec." Mitch disappeared from the room.

Lucifer moved away, and Chloe followed him over to a painting of the Devil stood in front of a burning White House. It was a cartoon-y version of the Devil; bright red, horns, cloven hooves, tail, goatee… "Looks just like you."

He glared at her. "I manscape."

They moved onto the next painting; of an Angel stabbing the Devil in the heart with a sword. "Which brother? Or sister…?"

"You were right the first time," said Lucifer. "And it's Michael. The bastard. He and any one of my siblings could've stopped it, you know. Humanity thinking I'm evil? They could've set the record straight, could've told everyone the truth. But they didn't. They just stood back and let it happen. And now…"

"You think everybody's out to get you," Chloe finished. She was suddenly grateful she never had siblings.

Her partner scoffed. "That's because they _are_. I didn't _choose_ it. Why would anybody choose to be vilified?"

Chloe kept her Detective face firmly in place. Solve the case first, lose it after. The urge to scream to the world that the Devil wasn't evil – that he was amazing and didn't deserve the hate he received – was close to hitting critical, but she knew it wouldn't help. The world was too set in one belief in order to be open to that idea.

It made her want to cry for her friend.

* * *

Corazón didn't have a last name, or even an address, having used to pay for the fee. Chloe called in a warrant and relayed what she'd learnt to Dan, before going to pick up Trixie from school. Lucifer had left before then in order to sort out some business at his club, and when he met back up with her at the house, it was already dark and Trixie was fast asleep. She wondered if he'd purposely left in order to avoid the child.

"Any luck on finding this Corazón?" he asked, leaning against her desk.

"His real name is Mike Carey," Chloe explained. "But there was still no address, and it could take us a while to find him. I'm gonna go up and shower. Stay put. Do _not_ wake up Trixie."

She climbed the stairs and disappeared into the bathroom. Only, right when she about to change, she realized that she'd left her phone downstairs. _Lucifer's down there. He'll get it if someone calls_. It took her a moment to realize how bad an idea that would be if Dan was the one who called.

With a sigh, she left the bathroom again and headed back downstairs – but pulled up short when she heard whispering.

"You don't think I'm…evil, do you, spawn?"

"No. Why would you be evil?"

 _Of course_ Lucifer didn't listen to her. _I ask him not to wake up Trixie, and he immediately wakes up Trixie. Why do I even bother?_ Though she became less angry the more of their conversation she overheard.

"Because I'm the Devil, and…and I tell myself I'm not evil. I _know_ I'm not evil. But no matter what I do, no one else seems to think so."

Even though Chloe couldn't see her daughter she knew the little girl was smiling. "Well, _I_ don't think you're evil. And Mommy doesn't."

"Really?"

"You help her catch bad people, so you _have_ to be good. _And_ , if you weren't good, I wouldn't let you in my room. But you're allowed in my room, so you must be good."

"I suppose I can't argue with reasoning like that."

Chloe smiled, remembering the sign on her daughter's bedroom door; the one that said 'No Boys Allowed, except Lucifer and Daddy'. Dan's inclusion had only been added as an afterthought.

"Mommy trusts you," Trixie went on to say. "She must have told you all of her darkest secrets. Has she told you about the scar on her butt?"

 _Uh oh_.

"Oh!"

"She got bit by the Kraken!"

"Right. What's this Kraken that you talk of?"

 _And that's my cue_. "My mom's evil Chihuahua," she said as she rounded the corner of the stairs, trying to hide her smile.

"Why aren't you showering?" Lucifer asked.

"Because I left my phone down here." She picked it up from where she'd left it on the side, before turning her attention to Trixie. "Why is Trixie awake? Get back into bed, young lady."

The little girl scurried off to bed, but not before calling over her shoulder, "Night, Lucifer!"

The Devil at least looked guilty. "I know what you're going to say, Detective-"

"I'm not mad." And she wasn't. Not when Lucifer's motives had been self-assurance, and understandable at that. "I heard what you were talking about."

"Oh." He averted his gaze away. "Right."

With a smile, Chloe stepped forwards and touched his chin with her fingers, tilting him back in her direction. "Maybe now you'll understand that despite everything, not everyone's out to get you."


	9. Chapter Nine: Confessions

**AN: Really sorry that I didn't post this yesterday. Things got really busy and I completely forgot.**

* * *

They found Corazón – dead in a warehouse.

It was twice as horrific as the last killing. The guy that Chloe had been so sure was the sicko murderer was instead strung up on the ceiling, sign of the cross style. She'd seen a lot during her time as a detective, and before that when she was just a regular cop. _But I've never seen anything like this_.

And just when things couldn't possibly get any worse, they found a word painted onto the crates around them in red: 'Morningstar'.

It was Dan who so helpfully pointed out that, while everyone was familiar with the name 'Lucifer' in association with the Devil, very few people had heard of the term 'Morningstar'. And those few people included Lucifer himself.

"Someone did this for _our_ Lucifer?" Chloe shook her head. "That's kind of a leap, Dan." No one knew that Lucifer was the Devil. No one but her.

Dan nodded. "Yeah, but if I'm right, it's also a conflict of interest. Someone could be doing this on his behalf, or maybe he's involved in a different way."

Chloe bit down on her lip, hard. _Now is not the time for another spat with him, even if he's getting close to deserving it_. "What does _that_ mean?"

"Yes." Lucifer walked over to them, his glare fixed on her ex. "What _are_ you insinuating, Detective Douche?"

To his credit, Dan didn't back down. Chloe wondered if he'd be so fearless if he really knew who he was talking to. "Some psycho might be killing people because of your whole "Devil" shtick."

The look on her partner's face made her want to cry. "You're blaming this nonsense on me." After everything he'd said to her, about people blaming the evils of the world on him and committing evil actions in his name, Dan's accusations were the last thing he needed. "You called me in! You insisted I work this case!"

Dan shrugged. "You take the whole "Satan" thing pretty seriously." He wasn't outright accusing him, but it was there in his tone of voice.

Chloe wanted to punch him. Hard. _If this is some kind of petty payback…_

"You really think I'd do these vile things? These kids were pretending to be bad, but they weren't. They were innocent, so I would _never_ hurt them! I'm not a monster!"

She stepped in between them before things got out of hand. "OK, guys. Enough." Her partner punching her ex wouldn't be the worst that could happen, but it wouldn't help the situation. And noticing everyone around them, Chloe was suddenly aware of the looks they were receiving. Or rather, the looks that were aimed at Lucifer.

She hated to admit it, but Dan could have a point. Not in his accusations; Lucifer would never hurt anyone, and she doubted someone was killing _for_ him. But the whole thing was definitely straying into the territory of conflicting interests, especially with Lucifer getting emotional.

"Chloe, I'm just trying to follow protocol," said Dan.

Lucifer scoffed. "Protocol?"

"This case might involve you," Dan told him through clenched teeth. "And protocol mandates that in the event of a conflict of interests-"

"What do you mean "involve" me?"

"Oh, I think you know what I mean."

Chloe took in a deep breath. She really didn't like it, but… "It's for your protection."

The look of hurt he gave her caused her heart to clench. "Protection? And what are you trying to protect? Protect me from the evil, or protect the world from the evil _me_?"

He turned to leave, but Chloe grabbed his wrist before he could. She met his puzzled gaze with a look of resolve. In the split second when their gazes held, she made a decision. It was something she'd never done before; something she'd never _had_ to do before. But there was always a first time for everything.

Her hand slid down to link with his, and after sending her friend a reassuring smile, she turned back to Dan. "Detective Espinoza, I'd like to step away from this case due to a conflict of interest. I'm afraid that I'm emotionally compromised."

The sheer look of shock on Dan's face was worth it. "What? Chloe, what are you-?"

"As you were saying before you were interrupted, protocol mandates that in the event of a conflict of interests, all officers of any rank are expected to step away from the case and/or scenario in question, as they are deemed emotionally compromised and are therefore unable to think clearly, as their personal connection to the case and/or scenario clouds their judgement. Considering that I want to punch you and everyone in this room for even _thinking_ that my partner is capable of something like this, I should say that I hit "emotionally compromised" several blocks back."

"This is crazy-"

"It's not. It's protocol. Isn't that what you said?" She wished she could make her eyes glow like fire, just like her friend's; she certainly felt like she was burning with rage. "Solving this case is up to you now, Dan. And your murderous partner, Detective Stash." She heard Lucifer snicker at that. "So please, for the love of my friend's Father, don't open and shut it like you always do. And if this was some kind of petty plan to get him away from me, and me closer to you, then please remove that stick from up your ass and start acting professional."

Her hand still linked with her friend's, she turned her back on her ex and the rest of the department and walked away, smiling.

* * *

"You didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did." The fact that he even said that – the fact that he'd expected her to turn against him – was reason enough.

"But you're a Detective, and you were working a case-"

"I'm also your friend, Lucifer. And I stand by my friends."

They were driving away with no direction; Chloe wasn't sure if they should head back to her place or if she should drop him off at Lux. The former option was more appealing; she had to get back to Trixie and send Julia home at some point, and she didn't want to leave Lucifer alone. Not when he needed her.

He was silent for a few minutes, and out of the corner of her eyes Chloe couldn't mistake the awe in his eyes for anything else. _Maybe now he'll finally stop doubting_.

"Could you drop me at Linda's office?" Lucifer finally said after a prolonged silence. "I need to speak with her."

Chloe nodded. "OK. Will she still be there this late?"

"I'll call her. Can I borrow your phone?"

She nodded again, and Lucifer picked it up from where it was resting in a cup holder. "You really need to buy your own."

"I'm getting to it, Detective!"

Ten minutes later they pulled up at the office, where Linda's car was already parked. "Do you want me to wait for you?"

"No need, Detective. Linda can give me a lift." He smiled, and she caved.

"OK. Let me know when you get home."

* * *

She intended to drive home. She really did. But she couldn't bring herself to, and instead found herself parking along Lucifer's street. _Just to make sure he gets home_. It wasn't stalking, was it?

Though she became distracted when Dan called her, souring her mood. As if it wasn't already sour enough.

"So, you found a cufflink on the scene in the shape of an 'M', and you immediately assume it's Lucifer's?" She shook her head. "How many of your cases did you actually solve, Dan?"

" _You know that Lucifer wears these things all the time_."

"Along with every other millionaire in this city," she pointed out. "And a lot of them have names beginning with 'M'. You're seriously pulling at threads. Are you really this determined to prove that Lucifer did this?"

" _I'm just doing my job. And you're right; you are emotionally compromised if you're actually ignoring vital evidence_."

"Give me some fingerprints, place Lucifer at the scene, and then we'll talk."

" _Chloe_ -"

She hung up and resisted the urge to throw her phone out the window. It buzzed a few seconds later, and Chloe looked back down at it to see that Dan had sent her a picture.

It was the cufflink. But it was also one she'd never seen Lucifer wear, and she'd been around him a lot.

A commotion further up the street caught her attention, and Chloe narrowed her eyes before climbing out her car to get a better look. A crowd had gathered and they were yelling; enough to signify trouble. The anti-Satan sign swinging in the air made her suspicious, but seeing the tall man in the centre of it all was confirmation, and she bolted up the street at high speed.

"LAPD! Everyone, back away!" By the time she reached them, Lucifer had the doom-and-gloom preacher, Jacob Williams (Chloe had looked into him back at the precinct), by the throat, and was pinning him against a lamppost in fury. If the preacher had been spewing the kind of mindless and senseless hatred she'd heard before, she couldn't blame her partner for lashing out.

When he turned and saw her, his anger faded away and he immediately let the preacher go. Jacob Williams coughed and stumbled, before seemingly regaining his courage and pointing an accusing finger at Lucifer. "The Devil doesn't belong here!"

Chloe stepped in front of her friend and held out her badge. "He has as much right to be here as you all do."

"Arrest him!" someone yelled above the crowd. "He's the murderer!"

"Arrest him for murder without evidence, based on his name alone?" Chloe's eyebrow rose. "Or how about I arrest all of you for harassment and assault?"

 _That_ shut them up. Sometimes it was fun being a cop.

The preacher sputtered. "But-"

"But _nothing_ ," Chloe cut him off. "Mr. Morningstar has done nothing. Meanwhile, all of _you_ have followed him along the street, yelling insults and threats and coming close to using physical violence against him. In fact, Mr. Morningstar has every right to press charges against all of you, but especially _you_ , Mr. Williams. So, unless you all want me to drag you down to the station, _move along_."

They did, rather hesitantly, though some were still glaring in Lucifer's direction. Chloe kept glaring at all of them until the only person left was Jacob Williams. "You have no idea who he really is, officer!"

"Oh, I know. And apparently, you do, too. So, let me ask you something." She leaned closer, unable to stop the smirk on her face. "If you know who he really is, why are you courting death by threatening him?"

He stared at her, and then over her shoulder at Lucifer. She could see the hesitancy and fear in his eyes, which in the end, won out. He stumbled away, and a glint of silver shone in the streetlights as something feel from his sleeve, which then hit the ground with a small 'clink'. Chloe bent down to pick it up and frowned when she recognized what it was.

"I'm starting to regret scaring the pants off that man, even if he deserved it." Chloe rose and turned to her partner, who was sending her a small but grateful smile. "Thank you, Detective."

"Anytime. But I think I should be thanking you."

"Really? What for?"

She opened her hand and showed him the cufflink.

* * *

"It's not an 'M'. It's a 'W'. And it stands for Williams."

Chloe was sat at Lucifer's bar in the main club, which was closed for the night. Lucifer had gone upstairs to his penthouse, wanting to unwind and have a drink from his private bar. "The good stuff", he called it. Meanwhile Chloe had called Dan to tell him what she'd found.

" _It's a possibility_."

"Don't ignore the evidence, Dan," she told her ex. "The techs placed Mike's time of death at midday, when Lucifer was with me. Not only have we found a cufflink at the scene matching one worn by Jacob Williams, but he has probable cause. He hates Satanists, and he seems to hate Lucifer enough to try and pin the murder on him. It makes sense."

She heard her ex heave a sigh. " _Where's Jacob now?_ "

"Lucifer and I looked all along the street, but we couldn't find him anywhere. He's probably still in the area though."

" _Alright. I'll put out a warrant for his arrest and have cops search the area. You should stay with Lucifer for now. If this preacher really has it in for him, he might confront him again._ "

"Right. Update me if you have anything." She hung up and let out a sigh. _Now we're on the right track_.

She jumped at the sound of a large crash. It was far, but also close. It sounded like it was coming from…

"Lucifer!" She couldn't imagine how someone could've gotten past her and into the elevator without her noticing, but that didn't matter. Her friend was in trouble.

The detective ran to the elevator and repeatedly pressed the button until the doors opened. She hopped inside and impatiently bounced up and down as it climbed up the building. She hoped she wasn't too late…

When the doors opened, she ran out, gun drawn…and froze.

It was Amenadiel. Lucifer was fighting Amenadiel.

Neither Angel noticed her. "If you wanted me dead, you should've had the balls to do it yourself!" Amenadiel yelled as he punched Lucifer to the floor.

Chloe was helpless to do anything but watch; her gun wouldn't work on Amenadiel. Noticing that the glass window that separated the living area from the study had been smashed, the detective realized she was way out of her depth, so dived behind the bar for cover. Her gun remained out; it made her feel a little more in control, even if it was useless.

"Please!" She glanced over the top of the bar to watch Lucifer struggle to his feet. He was examining the blood coming out of his nose, which he'd wiped away with his hand. "You're the one who's been using pawns from the start! Linda, Malcolm, and now the Detective!" He sent Amenadiel an especially powerful punch upon mentioning her. "You're a coward!"

"Chloe?" Amenadiel gasped out, and Chloe could tell by his expression that he was confused. "I don't even know what you're talking about!" He tried to punch Lucifer again, but the Devil blocked him and returned with another punch.

"You always were a lousy liar!" Lucifer grabbed his brother's shirt, and in that same split second Chloe realized what he was about to do.

She dove out from the bar, in time to avoid the shattering glass as Lucifer threw Amenadiel at the shelves of alcohol. The shattering that followed battled against her eardrums. _Holy shit_. She took in deep breaths and thought about Amenadiel's confusion; he looked like he really hadn't know what Lucifer was talking about, meaning it was likely that he wasn't behind her abilities.

"You justify it all, don't you?" the Devil continued as he stalked towards his fallen brother, who had fallen in front of the bar. Neither of them had noticed Chloe. "Claim it's all done in the name of Our Father, but…it's for _your_ sake, brother." He dragged the older Angel to his feet. "And they call _me_ the prideful one!"

Lucifer pulled back his fist, ready to deal out another blow, and Amenadiel's own fist rose to do the same. In that moment, Chloe remembered that Lucifer was vulnerable around her. Of course, an Angel could hurt another Angel, but her being present meant that Amenadiel could do twice as much damage.

She was about to call out and beg them to stop, but someone else beat her to it.

"Enough!" Maze walked up the stairs next to Lucifer's study; the stairs that led to the kitchen and the bathroom and the spare bedrooms. " _I'm_ the pawn! You _both_ used me!" She said, addressing both Angels.

 _Err_ … Chloe didn't want to bring up the fact that the demon had offered, both times.

Had offered it up like she _expected_ them to use her; like that was all she was good for. Chloe suddenly found herself feeling sorry for the demon. How many times had she been used? And how many times had she ever been appreciated for it, or even thanked?

"You know what?" Maze brought out her daggers from nowhere (Chloe was almost certain that the demon had her own hammer space portal stored in her leather pants) and placed them on the table. "Here. Kill each other." And with that, she walked away.

Both Angels watched her go…until Lucifer noticed Chloe. "Detective?"

"Are you OK?" She stepped towards him.

With Lucifer's attention on her, he didn't see Amenadiel grab a glass and raise it above his head.

If Lucifer was immortal, the blow wouldn't do much. But with her near him…

The blow could kill him.

"NO!" Chloe raised her gun and fired three shots without thinking. And each shot hit Amenadiel in the chest.

She expected the Angel to brush it off. She expected the shots to stun him long enough in order for Lucifer to get away from him, or even punch him again.

But she _didn't_ expect Amenadiel to drop like a log and remain unmoving on the marble floor.

Gun still in hand, she could only stare at the Angel in shock. _But…his powers worked on me, so… Oh God, what have I done?_

A hand covered her own, lowering the gun down, and Chloe looked up to find Lucifer sending her a look of reassurance. "Detective, it's OK. You didn't kill him."

She looked down at the body and then back at him. "But he…he…"

"That only happens if bullets catch us off-guard," Lucifer explained. "It's happened to me twice; first with Delilah, and then when that crazed woman shot me during the charity case. In order to shake off bullets, we have to be prepared for them."

Chloe looked back down at Amenadiel, and for the first time she noticed that there was no blood; just holes in his shirt where the bullets had hit him. "How long…?"

"Usually takes about a minute," said Lucifer. "Possibly three, since you hit him with three. And for future reference, perhaps next time you should hit him in a more embarrassing spot? Like the crotch, perhaps? I'll have popcorn ready."

"Lucifer…" She rolled her eyes, putting her gun away. "So, do we wait?"

"I'd rather not be here when he wakes up, so maybe we should head downstairs for a drink? Since we can't get one here." He gestured to the bar that had been destroyed by their fight.

Chloe took in a deep breath before she nodded. "Yeah. I…really need a drink."

Lucifer pressed his hand against her back and led her towards the elevator. Once they were inside and heading down, the Devil said, "Thank you."

"Anytime."

He smiled. "You said that already."

"And I mean it."

The doors opened when they reached the bottom, and Lucifer stepped out first. Chloe went to follow, but her partner suddenly stopped dead and gestured to her with his hand to stay back. She was about to ask why when he said, "Malcolm! What a surprise!"

Chloe ducked and stayed down while Lucifer stepped forwards towards the stairs. She managed to crawl out of the elevator before the doors closed.

"Hey, buddy! Tough night?" said Malcolm. He was over by the bar, helping himself to a drink.

Lucifer didn't answer as he slowly walked down the stairs. "Why are you in my club?"

Seeing an opportunity, Chloe not only dialled Dan's number, she also set her phone to record the conversation. She told her ex to shush when he picked up, before she slowly crept towards the other stairs. _Maybe I can get around him…_

"I saw the way they treated you at the scene!" Malcolm was saying to Lucifer as he held out a glass towards him. When the Devil didn't take it, Malcolm just set it down on the bar. "And your scuffle with that dumbass preacher made the local news."

"Yes, but that was about _five_ disasters ago. Keep up."

Malcolm looked him over. "Sheesh. You look like _shit_."

"Well, what can I say? You should've seen the other chap."

"I thought I did. What happened, pal?"

Lucifer shrugged. "Scuffle with my brother. You've met him, haven't you?"

"Are you listening to this?" Chloe whispered into her phone as she made it down the stairs and crept closer, gun drawn and ready in her other hand.

" _Yeah_ ," said Dan. " _Try and get a little closer_."

"Your brother's a party pooper, man! Unlike you! You're great!" He laughed. "It feels good! It feels good, hanging with you. I mean, ever since I went to Hell, there's been…things in my head…that no one will understand. Except you, of course!"

" _What the hell is he talking about, Chloe?_ "

"Does it matter?" Chloe wasn't ready to explain _that_ to her ex. "All this will be for nothing if he doesn't say anything." She dodged from table to table, staying in the shadows and out of sight.

Malcolm was still talking, his attention entirely on Lucifer. "I just want you to know that I respect the _Hell_ out of you! Get it? Hell? Up top!" He raised his hand, expecting Lucifer to give him a high five.

He didn't. Chloe didn't think he was the type to give high fives, but the way he was staring at Malcolm's hand was…

" _Chloe, why's it gone silent?_ "

She didn't reply.

"What? You gonna leave me hanging?"

Because she'd spotted what Lucifer had.

"You've got red paint on your hand."

"Huh?" Malcolm frowned.

"Just like the paint we found at the warehouse." Lucifer rose to his feet, and Chloe could see the growing rage in his eyes.

Malcolm stepped back and wiped his hand frantically on his trousers. "I must've gotten it on me at the scene…"

"I doubt that," said Lucifer. "Everyone was wearing gloves. Including you."

The two men stared at one another before Malcolm broke into a wide grin and laughed. "Oh man! You caught me! Literally red handed!" He raised his hands in the air, thinking it was the funniest joke in the world. "Oh, I was wondering when you'd figure it out. Been dying all day to tell ya!"

From her phone, Chloe heard Dan swearing, " _Shit_."

"You? You did this?" Lucifer's fists clenched. "You killed those people?"

"You mean those frauds? Duh! So, what do you think? Impressed?"

Chloe remained still, recalling the scene, recalling what Dan said, about the killings being for Lucifer, and her dismissing it because she was the only person who knew that Lucifer was really the Devil…

But she'd forgotten that Malcolm knew, too. _Stupid, stupid, stupid…_

"You're insane."

"I know! Don't you love it? Of course you do! We're the same!"

 _He's turned into a psycho_. Chloe dove under the last table right next to the bar, and prepared to leap at Malcolm, wanting to get him as far away from her friend as possible…

"We are _not_ the same." Lucifer was helping. He'd seen where Chloe was and was backing Malcolm towards her.

"Wait, wait, wait! If you're worried, I've got the perfect person to pin it on. That street preacher. Genius, right? The guy's crazy, and I already dropped some evidence."

 _The cufflink. Malcolm dropped the cufflink at the scene_.

There was a smash, and Chloe jumped before she realized that Lucifer had knocked the glass from Malcolm's hand with supernatural speed.

Malcolm's smile had dropped. "What? I did this for you."

"Why would I be happy?" The rage had consumed Lucifer completely; she could see the fire in his eyes. And for once, Chloe was tempted to allow her friend to let loose. Malcolm had killed, in Lucifer's _name_ – something about humanity that he _hated_. "I'm not evil. I _punish_ evil!"

"But you looked so ready to kill that preacher!" said Malcolm. "Aren't you even the least bit happy that I killed him for you?"

Right as Malcolm said those words, Chloe turned her gaze towards the bar…and saw Jacob Williams lying dead with a bullet hole in his forehead.

She gasped. Loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"Hey, is that you, Decker? Shame about the preacher, right?"

Chloe dropped her phone, sliding it under the table and out of sight, before rising to her feet and pointing her gun at Malcolm. "Malcolm Graham, you're under arrest for the murder of Jacob Williams, Rose Davis and Mike Carey."

Malcolm just laughed…before pointing a gun at Lucifer. "Take another step, and your Devil pal dies."

She didn't hesitate. She pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

 _Shit_. She'd emptied her remaining bullets into Amenadiel's chest.

With Malcolm's eyes on her, Lucifer took the opportunity to spring forwards and grab Malcolm's gun, but the dirty cop held onto it tight and gave Lucifer a right hook. It sent the Devil stumbling back, and Chloe wished she wasn't there so Lucifer could really show Malcolm what he was capable of. Or at least so he couldn't get hurt.

Dropping her useless weapon, Chloe ran around the table and leapt for the gun, as well. But Malcolm saw her coming. She managed to get her hands on the gun, but once again he kept a firm grip and punched her in the face.

"Chloe!" she heard Lucifer yell as she fell to the floor.

The world was dizzy for a moment, and then she felt her friend's arms around her as Lucifer helped her to her feet. She looked around for Malcolm and saw him reaching under the table for her phone.

"No!" She tried to pull away from Lucifer and run at the dirty cop, but another wave of dizziness hit her and she stumbled. Lucifer kept his hold on her, not letting her fall.

Malcolm rose back to his feet with the phone in his hands. Chloe could hear Dan calling out for her, but he was cut off when Malcolm hung up. "It's a shame. This is a nice phone." He walked over to the glass he'd poured for Lucifer and dropped the phone into it. "Good luck retrieving your recording."

"We don't need the recording," said Chloe. "We can prove you killed those people."

He shrugged. "Maybe. But see, I don't have probable cause. You two, on the other hand, _do_. And guess what?" He held up the gun. "Your fingerprints are all over the murder weapon."

 _Shit_.

Of course Malcolm was good. He had to be to escape their notice for years.

With a grin, he tossed the weapon onto the bar. "It'll be all over the news! Lucifer Morningstar, a man who believed he was the Devil, and started killing in order to prove it to everyone! And Chloe Decker, who fell in love with what she believed was the Devil, so started killing in his name to impress him. The tabloids will _love_ it!"

"You _monster_!" Lucifer surged forwards, letting Chloe go, but Malcolm was already away and out the door. And when Chloe stumbled again, Lucifer went to her aid instead of giving chase. "Detective…"

"I'm fine." He helped her over to the bar and they both took a seat. "This is officially the worst day ever."

"I agree. This day stands out even in my rollercoaster of despair I call a life." The Devil looked tempted to pour himself a drink, but apparently, he wasn't even in the mood for _that_. "I mean, where do I begin? With the grandest fall in the history of time, or perhaps the far more agonizing punishment that followed? To be blamed for every morsel of evil humanity's endured. Every atrocity committed in my name. As though I wanted people to suffer…"

He looked like he was on the verge of tears, and Chloe reached out to squeeze his hand. _Whoever made up the story that the Devil is evil… I hope they're burning in Hell for putting him through this_.

Lucifer squeezed back. "All I ever wanted was to be my own man here; to be judged for my own doing. And for that, I've been shown how truly powerless I am. And now…the one person I trusted…you…is being punished because of _me_."

"No." She shook her head. "None of this is your fault. This is Malcolm's doing, and it's not over yet. Dan heard what really happened, and Malcolm can't run forever."

The small look of hope in his eyes made her believe her own words. "So what now, Detective?"

She smiled. "Let's catch this bastard together and put an end to all this."


	10. Chapter Ten: Readin' Your Will

**AN: Who else is excited for the season finale?**

* * *

The pair were still sat at the bar, recovering from their blows Malcolm had dealt them, when the elevator doors opened. They both turned to see Amenadiel stumble out, partially crouched as if he was in pain.

Chloe saw her partner tense. "Lucifer…"

"Wait," he said to her. "As highly unlikely as it may seem, he might not want to fight."

Amenadiel managed to straighten himself out before plodding down the stairs, and Chloe began to agree with Lucifer; if anything, the older Angel looked like he was in too much pain to fight. Either from her bullets or from the fight with Lucifer, it didn't matter.

When he reached the bar, Amenadiel looked to Lucifer, then at Chloe, and then turned to Lucifer again before asking, "Do you have any Cosmos?"

Lucifer scoffed. "A bloody Cosmo? If you're going to ask for a drink, brother, at least ask for one that isn't quite so girly."

"Cosmos are yummy."

If the situation hadn't been so dire, Chloe would've burst into laughter at just how serious Amenadiel sounded when he said that.

The Devil rolled his eyes. "Doesn't really matter, anyway. I'm not giving you a drink after the mess you've caused, and I'm not talking about the one upstairs. A mess I'm having to clear up, by the way. Not that you'll be of any help with that. You're more useful on the floor with three bullets in your chest."

At the mention of the shooting, Amenadiel turned to Chloe. "I know what you're thinking, Detective. How can I hide my bullet-proof vest under this shirt? Well, it's actually quite simple-"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Cut the crap. I know you're an Angel, and I know Lucifer's the Devil."

Amenadiel frowned. "Wait, what?"

"Oh, and that reminds me." She hopped off her stool and walked towards him, managing it since she was no longer dizzy. "It's a shame this won't hurt as much as I want it to." And then she punched him in the face, throwing all of her strength into it.

The fact that he didn't block her meant that he hadn't seen it coming, else his lightning reflexes would've stopped her. His head snapped to the side as though he'd only been slapped, and Lucifer laughed from where he was still sat. "Oh, the GIFs I could create if I had a phone."

Chloe ignored him, keeping her focus on Amenadiel. "You freed a man from _Hell_! A _murderer_! And for what? To kill your brother? Just because he wanted to be his own man instead of stuck in probably the _worst_ job ever?! A job he doesn't even _deserve_?! If Lucifer hadn't already told me you're his brother, I'd think you were a _demon_ instead of God's Angel! You're nothing but a selfish, manipulative, lying son of a _bitch_!"

"That part's very true, actually. Our mum's quite the bitch."

She ignored Lucifer again. "Do you have any idea what your actions have caused? Behind that bar a man lies _dead_ , killed by the _murderer_ you freed from Hell! His name was Jacob Williams, and he's not the only victim! Rose Davis, Mike Carey, Anthony Paolucci, and who knows how many more people have been killed by him! He even tried to kill _me_ before my ex-husband put him in that coma you woke him from! And now? Your brother and me could go down for murder because of all this. So, I hope you're _happy_. I hope all this was _worth_ what you were trying to accomplish."

Her breaths came short and fast as she attempted to calm down from her rant – which appeared to have worked, if Amenadiel's averted gaze was any indication.

"Is that all, Detective?" Lucifer asked. "Or should I go and make some popcorn?" He was smirking, and had even poured himself a drink.

Chloe shrugged, her glare still fixed on the older Angel. "It depends what he wants to do now. Because if he still expects to take you back to Hell, he'll discover that there'll be one pissed off Detective standing in the way."

Amenadiel lifted his gaze to meet hers, and he sighed in defeat. "No. I'm not taking you back to Hell, Luci."

 _That_ caught the Devil's attention, and he rose to his feet to stand beside Chloe as the Detective blinked in surprise at the Angel's words. She hadn't been expecting that.

"You _don't_ want to take me back to Hell?" Lucifer was staring at his brother like he'd sprouted a second head. "The one _bloody_ thing you've wanted this entire time? Did I punch you in the head too hard? Or did the bullets in your chest move up to your brain?"

"Maze was right," said Amenadiel. "We used her. _And_ Malcolm. You're right, Chloe. People have _died_ because of us."

Chloe's eyebrow rose and Lucifer scoffed. "Because of _you_ , you mean?"

It took a moment for him to answer, but Amenadiel hung his head low and nodded. "Yes, because of me. Somehow, I lost sight of the bigger picture; of the cost of my actions, and just…how truly _selfish_ they were."

"Did you figure that out before or _after_ the Detective yelled at you?" Lucifer asked. "Because if it's before, then I think this side of you is scarier than the angry one."

Amenadiel looked between the pair. "Why did you even tell her about us? Humans can't have proof of divinity!"

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "It's just the Detective. I don't see the harm."

"And I can handle it _fine_." Chloe continued to glare at him.

"Besides, I didn't tell her," Lucifer went on to explain. "She saw my wings – you know, the ones you had stolen as part of your _first_ plan to get me back to Hell? This is really a trauma conga line for you, brother. If you hadn't done that, then she would never have found out, so that's on _you_! Though if I'm entirely honest, the Detective finding out the truth is the best thing that's happened to me here on Earth, besides meeting her. So really, I should be _thanking_ you."

The warmth that his confession brought spread through Chloe, beginning with her heart. Her glare finally dropped and she sent Lucifer a smile. "You mean that?"

"I never lie, Detective." He smiled in returned.

Amenadiel's eyebrows rose. "Holy Father above, you _have_ changed."

Lucifer returned his attention to his brother and narrowed his eyes. "So, what are you planning to do about this new revelation of yours, brother?"

"My eyes are wide open now," the Angel replied, "and I need to make this right. I need to find Malcolm, and I need to send him back to Hell. Will you help me?"

The Devil shrugged. "Sounds like fun to me."

"We're already going after him," said Chloe. "We could use the help." As much as she really didn't like Amenadiel after what he'd done, he wanted to atone and he wanted to help. Having an invulnerable Angel on their side would give them a huge advantage over Malcolm, who probably still thought that the two Angels hated each other.

She heard footsteps coming from the main door, and thought for a moment that it was Malcolm returning, or maybe another cop. But instead she heard Dan's voice call out, "Chloe?"

"Down here!"

He appeared at the top of the stairs before hurrying down them. "Are you OK? What happened?"

"Malcolm found my phone. Tried to destroy the evidence." She gestured to the glass which held said phone. "You got here fast."

"I was in the area looking for Jacob," Dan explained.

Chloe nodded her head towards the bar. "He's behind there with a bullet in his brain. Malcolm must've shot him when Lucifer and I were upstairs. And it gets worse."

"The Detective and I tried to grab the gun, but now our fingerprints are all over it," Lucifer explained. "So, for all your corrupt little organisation knows, either one of us could be the murderer."

"And since you two have more probable cause than Malcolm…" Dan threw his head back in frustration. "There's no evidence at the other crime scenes except your name," He nodded at Lucifer, "but Malcolm still has buddies at the station. From what he's told me, anyway. They could plant something." His eyes narrowed when he took a close look at the Devil. "God, your _face_."

"Wrong deity, and you should've seen the other chap. Oh, you're looking at him, in fact." Lucifer slapped Amenadiel's shoulder. "Meet my brother, Amenadiel." At Dan's frown, he added, "Yes, I know what you're thinking. He's much less handsome than I am."

"Guys, we need to think," Chloe cut in. "Malcolm could be on his way to the precinct right now in order to tell his version of the story."

But Dan shook his head. "I doubt it. Malcolm's smart. He won't risk the possibility that someone could take your side."

"Who?" she asked. "After everything that happened at Palmetto, who would take my side?"

"After what happened to Paolucci? You'd be surprise," Dan explained. "And I've been hearing whispers; people have been noticing Malcolm acting weird. Anti-sociable. It's making everyone a little twitchy."

"I'll say." Everyone turned to the stairs where Maze had appeared. Chloe decided that Lucifer wasn't the only one who needed to start wearing a bell; his demon bartender was probably worse than he was. "A few cops were in here last week, just to hang. Heard they'd stopped going to that cop bar because Malcolm was there. I could smell the fear on them. It was _exciting_." As she spoke, she walked down the stairs and stopped to lean against the bar. "Did I miss all the fun?"

"A demon ninja bartender could have been useful, yeah," said Chloe.

Lucifer spoke up before more could be said between the two women. "You know, I think I've had enough of all this standing around and talking business. We need to find our dear friend Malcolm so I can tear his arms and legs off!"

Chloe nodded. "You're right. We need a plan, and I think it's best that we split up." She turned to her ex. "Dan, you stay here and call in Jacob's murder. Try and explain what happened as best you can."

"I'll see if one of the techs can get anything off your phone." Dan nodded to himself. "I can try to stall them as best I can, but once they get the fingerprints on the gun, they'll want to at least question you both. And it'll be better for both of you if you have Malcolm by then."

"In the meantime, try and find any evidence you can. He had paint on his hands, but he can easily wash that away." Dan moved away to make the call while Chloe turned to the others. "We need to split into pairs and cover more ground."

"Excellent, Detective!" Lucifer exclaimed. "You and me, then?"

Maze protested, "No way! There's no way I'm going anywhere with him!" She pointed at Amenadiel, who looked both hurt and ashamed. "Right now, I'd rather go with you, Decker. As hard as it is for me to admit, I actually hate you the least right now."

Lucifer gave a frustrated groan. "Mazikeen-"

"I actually think that's a good idea," said Chloe, even though like Maze, she hated to admit that. "Lucifer, Malcolm will be expected both of us to come after him, together. If we split up, he won't see it coming."

Despite clearly wanting to protest – wanting to stay with her, and she couldn't blame him; she wanted the same – Lucifer nodded. "It makes sense. Do the unexpected."

"And this way, you won't get hurt."

He nodded again. "But you _are_ pairing me off with my literal bash brother, so if we come back with more bruises than we have now…"

She rolled her eyes. "Just get on with it."

Dan came back over to them. "Cops are on their way. Here." He took out his gun and handed it to her. "Stay safe."

Chloe took the gun, gave him a nod of thanks, and turned back to the celestial trio. "You guys ready to catch a crook?"

* * *

By morning, it was decided that Chloe and Maze would stop by Malcolm's home while Lucifer and Amenadiel went to the latter's office in order to talk further. About what, Chloe didn't know, but it was most likely about how they were going to get Malcolm back into Hell. Which she _really_ didn't want to know about, and didn't mind that they'd gone to talk about it in private.

The car journey over to Malcolm's home was quiet. Purposely on Maze's part, Chloe thought; she wagered that the demon wanted to unnerve her. But she wasn't about to fall for that.

Maze didn't speak until they'd arrived and had climbed out of the car. "I wish I had my knives."

"You're not gonna need them," said Chloe.

The demon smirked. "I never need them."

Chloe rolled her eyes as they walked up the front porch. She banged on the door. "LAPD! Malcolm-" She was cut off when Maze kicked the door in without a word and stepped inside. Knowing that telling her off would be as fruitless as it was with Lucifer, the detective just inwardly shrugged and stepped in after her. "Hello? Anyone here?"

"Huh."

Following Maze's gaze, Chloe saw that the living room and the dining room had been piled high with boxes – boxes that contained recently bought items, mostly digital. TVs, computers, power tools, cooking equipment… "Looks like Malcolm likes to shop."

"You cops must make a lot of money," said Maze, looking mildly impressed as she inspected the stuff. "You hiring?"

"We're not, and we don't," Chloe replied. She'd never seen so much new… _stuff_ in her life, not even on Black Friday. Everything she could see was stuff she could only _dream_ of buying. "I have no idea how he can afford all of this."

Maze's eyebrow rose curiously. "Well, if you don't make good money, why do you do this job?"

"Because I get to shoot people," said Chloe, reasoning that it would be the only answer that the demon would understand. She added as an afterthought, "which is something you should keep in mind."

Maze juts laughed. "No, really. Why?"

Chloe sighed. "Because I hate it when people get away with things they shouldn't."

"And you like to shoot people."

She smirked. "Yeah."

Before more could be said Chloe heard the distinctive 'click' of a shotgun being loaded. She dived forwards, pushing Maze down behind a pile of boxes, right when a shot rang out. Cardboard exploded and was sent flying around them in pieces.

The detective landed on top of Maze, who glanced down at her breasts and smirked. "Oh, _now_ I know why he likes working with you."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Chloe rolled off the demon and pulled her gun out. She crouched down and managed to side-step behind another pile of boxes. "Malcolm, it's the police! Stop firing and put the gun down!"

The firing stopped, but Chloe doubted that Malcolm was going to give himself up so easily. She was about to gesture for Maze to do her ninja thing and work her way around, but then a familiar voice called out, "He's not with you?!" Chloe peered around the boxes to see Mel holding the shot gun instead of her husband – and frightened tears were streaming down her face. "Please tell me he's not with you!"

Chloe exchanged a confused glance with Maze, who also looked surprised for once, before she turned back to the frightened woman. "No."

Mel sighed with relief before turning her back on them, walking into the next room and putting the shotgun down. "Sorry, I thought you were my husband."

To say that Chloe was surprised would be an understatement. The last time she'd seen Mel, the woman had yelled at her for accusing Malcolm of being dirty; had been so distraught that he was dying. Things had changed, though Chloe suspected what had happened. "Mel, why were you shooting at Malcolm?"

The woman sniffed and wiped away her tears using her sleeve. "Ever since he almost _died_ , he…he's been different! He's been… _strange_! I can't describe it."

"He has a new-found appetite," said Maze. "An insatiable hunger he just can't seem to fill."

Mel frowned. "How do you know?"

"I've seen it before." The demon sent Chloe a sideways glance. "It only gets worse."

Chloe sighed. _And she'd know that. Lucifer mentioned that Hell has seriously damaging effects on human souls. This probably isn't the first time she's seen something like this_.

"It can't get worse!" Mel tearfully shook her head in disbelief. "He spent all our money, and when I saw him today-"

"Wait, when did he come by today?" Chloe interrupted, desperate.

The woman was silent for a moment before replying, "You just missed him. He was frantic! He was looking for money, and he was angry! He was _so_ angry! And he had this look in his eyes, and he said things…"

"Do you have any idea where he might have gone?"

She shrugged. "He said he was going to go get a _beer_."

That didn't make any sense. _Why would Malcolm get a beer if he knows we might be coming after him?_ But it was a start. "OK, thanks."

The house phone rang, and Mel rushed to answer it. "Hello?" She frowned, before turning to Chloe and holding it out to her. "It's for you. It's Dan from the station."

"Sorry," she apologized, walking over. "My phone's been wrecked. I asked Dan to ring here." She took the phone and held it to her ear. "You found anything, Dan?"

" _Malcolm's good, Chloe. I can't find any evidence tying him to the murders. There's been no call for your arrest, or Lucifer's, but it's up in the air. We're waiting to see if anything can be recovered from your phone. How's it going on your end?_ "

"Malcolm's not home," she replied. "He might have gone to the _Paddock_ for a drink."

" _Why? Lucifer's here with his brother; they said that Malcolm's seen some guy who's made a new identity for him_." Chloe nodded; Malcolm would need a new identity in order to run. And Lucifer would know a guy; someone had to have given him an identity when he first arrived on Earth. _"If he's this desperate to get away, he wouldn't stop for a drink._ "

"Especially when he doesn't have the money to get far."

" _But he's the kind of guy who'll know how to find it. Maybe there's a bar that owes him money._ "

"Or one that he could rob for some extra cash."

" _What makes you think he'd go to a bar?_ "

Chloe glanced around her; Maze had gone back to examining all the stuff Malcolm had bought, while Mel was pacing, close to frantic. "Mel said he went out for a beer."

" _A beer!_ " Dan sighed, as if finally connecting the dots on something. " _I know where he's gone._ "

" _Do tell, Detective Douche_ ," she heard Lucifer say, and couldn't help but grin at the sound of his voice.

"What is it, Dan?" she asked.

" _Lucifer said that Malcolm's going to see some guy named Tommy,_ " Dan explained. " _There's a drug dealer named Tommy Kibble who works out of an old brewery on Third. We've had some dealings with him before – and like with Audi, the only cop he'd talk to was Malcolm_."

Chloe nodded. "A drug dealer would make sense. He'll have cash on him, but he's not gonna hand it over nicely."

" _Shit_."

"That surprises you?"

" _No, it's just… Lucifer and his brother were standing right there, and now they're gone_."

"They do that a lot." Chloe's grin widened.

" _I'm leaving the precinct now_."

"OK, meet me at the brewery with back-up."

" _No, Chloe, you can't-_ "

But she hung up the phone and turned to Maze. "Dan's got a lead. We're meeting him at a brewery on Third along with Lucifer and Amenadiel." She looked over at Mel, who was still pacing. "Where's your son?"

"I sent him to stay with my parents," she replied. "He's scared too, and I was afraid that Malcolm was gonna hurt him."

"You did the right thing," Chloe assured her. "Go to him, and stay where you are until someone comes for you. If Malcolm shows up, dial 911."

She nodded, and then after a moment of hesitation, spoke again. "I'm sorry, Chloe. If…if he's been like this all along…you were right to think-"

"There's no need to apologize." Chloe stepped forwards and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "You didn't know. And honestly, I don't think he was always like this. Beforehand, he was probably just looking for ways to get some extra cash, and then he took it too far. As for his behaviour now, it's very likely that dying caused some brain damage that the doctors missed. Don't blame yourself." Mel nodded, and once again wiped away her fresh tears. "Do you need a ride?"

The woman shook her head. "I need to pack some things first. Just…put that bastard away for me, will you?"

"Decker!" Maze was by the open door and glaring impatiently. "Come on!"

After saying goodbye, Chloe followed the demon outside and back over to her car. She let out a sigh once they were driving. "I hope we get there in time."

"I can track him if we don't," said Maze. "I can put bloodhounds to shame when it comes to hunting the souls of the damned."

Chloe didn't doubt her words and gave the demon a quick glance. "That could've been helpful to mention before. We could've tracked him to the brewery by now."

"You didn't ask."

"Of course." She rolled her eyes. "So, you've done this before?"

"Sometimes souls escape Hell," Maze explained. "It doesn't happen a lot. Every couple centuries, maybe. But when they do, Lucifer and I come to Earth in order to hunt them down. Those were fun times." She smiled, which quickly disappeared. "That was how it started."

"What started?"

Maze replied, "Lucifer's desire to come here. He started spending more time up here after hunts; putting off returning to Hell. Then he started to go flying, more frequently and for longer as time went on. Then one day, he came to me and announced that we were leaving Hell, for good. He fell in love with life on Earth…and while I hate to admit it, he's actually happy here."

"He is." That was easy to see, even without knowing what Lucifer was like before. "But if you know that, why did you try and make him go back?"

"I was selfish," she admitted. "But I'm a demon. I'm supposed to be selfish."

She sounded…unhappy about that. And also like she was trying to convince herself. For the first time, Chloe got the sense that Lucifer wasn't the only deity who needed some positivity in their life.

* * *

When they reached the warehouse, Chloe and Maze split up, the former with her gun drawn. She hoped that Lucifer knew she was in the area; she didn't want him acting reckless, thinking he was immortal when he actually wasn't.

It didn't take her long to hear footsteps, and she followed the sound until she caught sight of Malcolm running along a walkway up ahead.

She took aim at him, all her anger from before bubbling to the surface. "Malcolm, freeze!" Malcolm didn't look her way, instead running faster. He threw his bag down to the ground and hurried down the steps towards it. "Stop!"

He didn't stop running, and Chloe was forced to fire at him. She aimed for his legs despite wanting to aim higher, but he was constantly moving and she kept missing. He took cover behind one of the machines, out of reach from his bag that was no doubt filled with cash. Chloe kept firing; she could at least keep him from getting his money. That way he wouldn't be able to get very far.

Eventually Malcolm gave up and ran, leaving the money behind. Chloe slowly walked forwards towards the bag and remained alert in case he tried to come around from another angle.

There were footsteps behind her and she turned, gun still held out in front of her.

Lucifer immediately held his hands up in the air. "Detective, it's me!"

She immediately lowered her gun with a huge sigh of relief. "Lucifer." Unable to stop herself, she ran forwards and threw her arms around him, holding him close, his scent comforting. "I'm so glad you're OK."

"Of course I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Lucifer pulled out of the embrace. "Where's Malcolm?"

"He ran, but he left his getaway cash behind," She gestured to the bag, "so he won't get far. Where's Maze?"

"Taking care of Amenadiel," Lucifer replied. "Malcolm stabbed him with one of her knives; a blade forged in Hell, and one of the few things that can kill an Angel. He must've swiped it somehow when he was at Lux."

Chloe sighed, her frustration creeping up on her along with her worry. Dan was in the area with backup, and without backup of their own… "So, we're down one demon ninja bartender, and one Angel. Great."

"Are you pining for some good cop/demon cop action, Detective?" Lucifer smirked. "Well, as much as I'd love to see you and Maze go at it in bed, preferably with me in the middle, I much prefer it when it's just you and me. I mean, look at us! Reunited, and it feels _so_ good!"

"It won't do us any good since we're both wanted on suspicion of murder," Chloe was quick to point out.

"Even better! We're like Bonnie and Clyde!"

She rolled her eyes. "Look, let's just clear our names and find Malcolm, OK?"

"If we do it your way, Detective, we'll both be stuck in a cell until Judgement Day, and trust me, that's a long way off," said Lucifer. "And then Malcolm will get away. We should just skip that part and go straight to the main course."

The detective resisted the urge to slap him upside the head as she put her gun away and collected the bag of money from the floor. "That's incredible impulsive and short-sighted."

"Have you noticed that's my jam?"

"If we fix our reputation, we'll preserve everything we've done," Chloe explained. "But if we go after Malcolm, even if we're proven innocent in the end, there's a chance I could get suspended and you could get fired."

His smile was both a smirk and genuine. "You want to keep working with me."

" _Duh_."

They began to walk towards the exit, and both their smiles dropped when they saw that Dan had arrived with backup. Chloe paused at the sight; she had no idea what she was going to say, nor how she was going to convince them not to put her and Lucifer in a cell. _Maybe Lucifer's right, and we should run and find Malcolm ourselves…_

Dan was walking towards them with another cop behind him. Too late.

"Right." Lucifer nodded before he raised his hands. "Very well, Detective. I'm in your hands, but how you intend to prove our innocence is beyond me."

When Dan reached them, he shook his head at Lucifer and gestured, "Put your hands down. We found the evidence we need."

" _He_ did?" Lucifer looked between them. "Can we rethink our surrender?"

Chloe frowned. Only a few hours ago, Dan had nothing. What had he found since then? Had Malcolm finally managed to slip up? Or maybe they managed to retrieve the evidence from her phone? "What did you find?"

Her ex looked hesitant. Almost…resigned. "It's better if I showed you."


	11. Chapter Eleven: Rough Detective

**AN: The season finale was awesome!**

* * *

The drive over to the precinct felt longer than it normally did. Maybe it was the uncertainty of what was about to happen; Chloe had no idea if the "evidence" Dan had found would even be enough to prove they were innocent. He still hadn't said a word, and refused to no matter how many times she asked.

She and her partner hadn't been handcuffed, so that was a start. But she still worried; that she'd let her father down, that she'd never see Trixie again except from behind a glass wall…

Lucifer wouldn't let them go to jail, she was sure. No cell could lock up the Devil. But that would just mean a life on the run, and would that really be a life at all? Especially for her daughter?

Those thoughts refused to leave her as she rode inside the lift with her ex and her partner. Dan was stood in between her and Lucifer, holding their arms as if he was bringing them in. He had to do it despite having evidence, but it still worried her.

"Why do I feel like I'm walking death row?" Lucifer commented when the elevator doors opened and they stepped out. "Shall I order my final meal now to save time?"

"Dan says he has it handled," Chloe assured him, despite her own worry. She turned to her ex. "You do, right?"

"I do." And then he sent her a look – a look someone had when they were staring down the barrel of a gun, knowing they were going to die. She suddenly realized exactly what he was doing; something she'd been trying to convince him to do many times before, and had even threatened to do herself. Her eyes widened, and she was helpless to watch as the man she'd once been in love with walked over to the front desk and placed his badge and phone in front of the officer behind it. "I'm here to turn myself in."

"What are you doing?" Chloe asked, knowing the answer but still unable to believe what she was seeing. _I called him a coward. I didn't think he'd have the guts_.

Dan turned back to her, but said nothing and returned to address the officer. "I removed a fire arm from evidence lock-up, and I gave it to Detective Malcolm Graham. I believe that Detective Graham then used that weapon to shoot and kill Jacob Williams," He glanced again over his shoulder, and his gaze shifted between her and Lucifer, "the crime that Mr. Morningstar and Detective Decker are suspected of."

Lucifer looked just as shocked as Chloe felt. "Well…Detective Espinoza, I…didn't know you had the stones."

"No more 'Detective Douche'?" Dan asked as he turned to face the taller man.

The Devil tried to grin, but his heart wasn't in it. "Well, not today, at least."

The officer behind the front desk stepped around and took hold of Dan by the arm. Another officer arrived to take the other, and Dan gave Chloe one last look before he was led away and out of sight.

After everything that had happened between them, Chloe had expected to feel at least some form of satisfaction, seeing her ex being led away, his actions having finally caught up with him. But instead all she felt was…empty. Because at the end of the day, Dan had done the right thing, for both her and Lucifer. He wasn't a bad guy; just someone who made mistakes.

And vilifying him – trying to think of him as her douchebag of an ex who didn't care about her of their daughter – would be easier, but not the right thing.

 _That's what happened with Lucifer. It was easier for mankind to vilify him instead of accept him for his mistakes. And he's been paying for that choice for centuries_.

She felt Lucifer take her hand in his – a rare act, him initiating contact – and she squeezed back in thanks. They didn't need to say anything.

A phone buzzed. Chloe's hand went to her pocket, before she remembered that she didn't have her phone on her. She turned around and saw that it was Dan's phone – and Trixie's name lit up the screen.

 _Damn. What am I gonna tell her?_ Chloe picked up the phone and sighed. "I need to take this," she told Lucifer, before walking away to find a quiet corner. She couldn't tell her daughter that her father was probably going to jail; that would have to be done later, when she came home. "Hey, honey. Everything OK?" _She's probably wondering why I didn't come home last night. Did Julia pick her up OK? Dan mentioned that she contacted him this morning-_

" _Hello, Decker_."

Her heart stopped.

"Malcolm?"

Why did Malcolm have Trixie's phone?

Why did a _murderer_ have her _daughter's_ phone?

" _How's the precinct? I still have a few buddies at the station._ " That wasn't a bluff. That was a threat, and she knew it. " _Oh, and I made a new friend today, too. Her pick-up was a no-show, so I took the liberty of getting her for you. Thought we could have some bonding time. Here, say hi._ "

" _Hi, Mommy_."

Trixie's voice.

Malcolm had Trixie.

 _No, no, no, no, no…_

She took in a deep breath. _Keep it together, Decker. You can't lose it, not here_.

"Hey, Trixie. Are you OK, honey? Mommy's here."

But instead of her daughter's voice, Malcolm spoke again. " _That's enough of that._ "

The thought of her baby being anywhere near him… "What do you want, Malcolm?" But she already knew. She wasn't stupid; she knew how it all worked.

" _Poor Chloe Decker_ ," Malcolm taunted. " _Did someone take something from you? Something valuable? Hurts, don't it?_ "

She kept her voice low. "You want your money." A plan was forming in her head; tell Olivia, get the money, have back-up waiting close by, Lucifer even closer…

" _Bullseye!_ " Malcolm laughed. " _And don't even think about talking to the cops. OK? You don't know who's with me_."

"OK." She nodded, her plan crushed in an instant. He was right; even if she only told a few cops she trusted, word got around fast. All it would take was one of Malcolm's buddies finding out, warning him, and then Trixie would be dead. _Maybe I can get Lucifer to come with me…_

As if reading her mind, Malcolm said, " _And keep Lucifer out of this. Just you…or she dies_."

And before she could beg to hear her daughter's voice again, he hung up.

Cops moved around her. Officers, detectives; all getting on with their work, unaware that her entire world was falling apart. But it was better that way. Despite the busy precinct around her, Chloe was on her own.

She took a deep breath, and let it out again.

She started walking, tucking Dan's phone in her pocket, needing it in case Malcolm rang again.

She kept her face passive, showing no emotion.

She kept her voice even as she approached another officer and asked to examine the bag of cash that Malcolm wanted.

Then came the hard part. As she followed the officer to where the bag was being held, she saw Lucifer approaching. _Face straight. No emotion. Pretend that everything's fine…_

"There you are!" he exclaimed, but she kept walking, passing him by. She only turned around when he asked, "Everything alright, Detective?"

"Yeah. Of course." She nodded. "I'll be right back." She held back a sob after turning her back on him, hating that she had to lie to him; not include him when he was the one person she needed the most.

But Trixie was all that mattered. Her daughter came first.

Bag in hand, she left the precinct. No one stopped her. No one even noticed her. That was the best way to escape notice; act casual, like you have nothing to hide, even if you were removing vital evidence and going against every police protocol in the book…

She walked across the thankfully empty parking lot towards her car. The sun was going down. It would be dark soon, and people would notice her gone, along with the cash, and Lucifer would connect the dots, but by that time she'd probably be lying in a pit somewhere, facedown…

" _Detective Decker, step away from your vehicle_." She froze. Her car door was open. She was so close… " _Put your hands in the air, and walk towards me peacefully_." She didn't recognize the voice, but the police speaker was always good at masking voices. " _If you do not, I repeat, if you do not, we will have no choice but to shoot you with our new bazooka_."

She frowned. _We don't have a bazooka? Who would even…?_

The detective rolled her eyes and turned around, in time to see Lucifer step out of the car, still using the microphone to talk. " _Wait, actually we've been waiting months to use it, so on second thought, please, speed away._ "

Chloe stormed towards him. _I don't have time for his Lucifer-ness. The longer I'm here, the longer Trixie is with that psycho_. "What are you doing?"

"Well, _I could ask you the same-_ " He started talking into the microphone again, and Chloe's hand shot out, grabbing it and stopping him. Lucifer just stared at her before putting the microphone down and slamming the car door shut. "I could ask you the same thing. You going somewhere without me? Hmm? Right after all this talk about trusting you, you're immediately keeping secrets."

She bit her lip, hating what she was doing to her friend, but she had to. If Lucifer knew, he'd force himself to go with her, and then Trixie… "I don't have time to explain it to you. Something came up."

"Something that obviously requires quite a bit of cash." He gestured to the bag. "I didn't know you had it in you, Detective."

"It isn't for me." _Why can't he get the hint and drop it?_

"You going to make it rain at the local strip clubs, then?"

"Lucifer!"

"Or perhaps that phone call earlier wasn't as meaningless as you made it out to be." And when he said that, Chloe realized that there was no lying to him; no hiding the truth. He was going to keep pestering her until she told him, and any attempt to get him off her case would just be a waste of precious time. Mistaking her silence for reluctance, Lucifer reached for the microphone again. "Fine, you leave me no choice."

Chloe grabbed his arm to stop him, slowly moving it back. She kept contact with him as she said, her voice small, "Malcolm has Trixie."

For a split second, there was a smug look of triumph on his face; it had appeared when she reached out to stop him from using the microphone again. But it disappeared the moment she said those words. "Oh."

The detective swallowed back the lump forming in her throat. She wasn't afraid to cry in front of Lucifer, but she couldn't when she had to go and face Malcolm. Not when she needed to be strong for her daughter. "If I get him his money, he'll let her go."

"Right. Because if Malcolm's established anything, it's his trustworthiness."

He was right, but she couldn't help that. "What choice do I have?"

"To rise shotgun with the Devil, for starters."

"If Malcolm sees you, he'll kill her! I'm sorry, but I can't risk it!" She tried not to raise her voice, but she couldn't help it. "Her life is at stake!"

"Right, so you're just going to get _both_ of you killed, are you?"

And he was right again. But there wasn't a choice, there wasn't any other _choice_ … "He needs this money to leave town. I won't give it to him unless she's safe."

"And what about _your_ safety?"

"Trixie is all that matters!"

"Detective-"

She was close to crying. Close to losing it. Close to lashing out and hitting him for being so stubborn. _Why does he have to care about me so much? Why can't he see that I'm doing this for his safety, too?_

"I don't have time to argue with you, Lucifer!" She took in a breath. Let it out again. "I realize how bad this can go, but I don't have a choice! This is my _daughter_!" And when she saw the look of resolve in his eyes, she had to make sure he didn't go with her. "Promise me you'll let me go alone."

He stared at her. Stared at her for a long moment, eyes filled with worry and reluctance. He didn't want her to go; probably realized that it could be the last time he ever saw her. But he sighed. And he relented. "Fine. You have my word."

And when the Devil gave his word, he stuck to it. That was enough for her.

She sighed, and dared not say another word. She couldn't say goodbye; couldn't hug him. If she did, it would make things final. It could break his resolve to stay behind – or hers to keep him away.

Instead she turned her back on him and walked away. _If I die, I'll be alright, whatever way I go. I can see Dad again in Heaven. And if I go to Hell…well, I know the boss. I'll be fine._

* * *

Finding Malcolm was easy. She tracked Trixie's phone to an abandoned airplane hanger, and while she wondered where everyone was, it didn't matter. All that mattered was getting her daughter back, safe and sound.

The sky had darkened by the time she arrived, and when she pulled into the hanger she saw Malcolm sat up ahead with Trixie on one of the crates. He glanced her way, grabbed the girl – _get your hands off her, you bastard_ – and set her down, before dragging her along to where Chloe parked up.

Chloe immediately jumped out of the car, her gaze never leaving her daughter. "Trixie!"

"Easy, Decker. Easy." Malcolm waved his gun around, and Chloe held her breath. Any second he could change his mind and shoot them both…

"Mommy, can we go home now?" asked Trixie, her voice small, bottom lip close to trembling. But she was putting on a brave face.

 _That's my girl_. "Yes, Monkey. We can." Chloe forced herself to smile, trying to show her daughter that everything was going to be fine, that they were going to go home and end the night with her favourite bedtime story, instead of her mother's body bleeding out on the floor…

Malcolm glanced at the front seats of the car. "Glad to see you came alone. Now toss the gun." Without hesitating, Chloe took out her gun from her holster and slid it across the floor. It came to a stop under Malcom's foot. "Now the other one." Not even surprised that he knew, she removed the smaller gun from her boot and slid that across the floor, too.

She couldn't stop her tears, no matter how hard she tried. "There. You happy?"

He nodded. "Once I get my money, sure. So where is it?"

Chloe shook her head, standing firm. "Not without Trixie."

"Oh, come on, Decker!"

"Malcolm, that's the deal!"

The cop stared at her, the laughter leaving his face, and for a terrifying moment Chloe thought he was going to shoot her, right in front of Trixie. Or worse, he'd kill Trixie in front of _her_. But instead, he sighed and let go of Trixie's hand. "Go on."

Trixie immediately sprinted across the floor, and Chloe knelt down with her arms open. And then her baby was safe, close to her heart and away from the psycho who could kill them at any moment's notice.

She wanted to keep holding her daughter and never let go again, but she didn't have a choice. She had to send Trixie away in order to deal with Malcolm. "Honey. OK, listen to me." Trixie pulled away, and Chloe made sure she had her daughter's full attention before she spoke again. "We're gonna play a game, alright? I need you to hide until I can come find you."

"Mommy, I don't wanna play a game." There were tears in the girl's eyes, and Chloe wanted to make Malcolm pay for making her daughter cry. For frightening her brave girl who befriended the Devil and his demon without batting an eyelid.

Her breath was sharp. "I know you don't, Baby. But I need you to go hide really, really well, OK?" Trixie nodded. "Go."

The little girl ran, and Chloe kept watching her until she disappeared from sight. She didn't want it to be the last time she saw her daughter; didn't want to break her promise by being too dead to go and find her again.

Malcolm laughed, bringing Chloe's mind back to the situation at hand. "Kids, huh?"

Composing herself, she rose to her feet and pressed the button on her car keys. The boot opened up. "It's there, it's all there. It's in the bag."

Malcolm nodded, smirking, before pointing his gun at her. "Yeah, I believe you."

Not surprised in the slightest, Chloe raised her hands. "You don't need to do this, Malcolm." He had his money. Killing her would only guarantee more people going after him, and she knew that Lucifer wouldn't rest until he found the one who killed her…

The man shrugged. "I know, but…I was gonna shoot you at Palmetto, and… Now I feel like I've been given a second chance here! So I'm sure as hell not gonna waste it."

Chloe refused to close her eyes, but that didn't stop her from praying. _Please God… Prove you're not an asshole like Lucifer says you are…like I think you are. Please…_

There was a flash of white, and then a paper plane of all things flew into her line of sight. Malcolm watched it too as it landed by his feet, and there was something doodled on the top. It almost looked like…

Then she saw him at the far end of the hanger. A dark figure, standing alone.

 _Lucifer_.

She didn't question why he was there. She didn't yell at him for breaking his promise to her. Instead she took the opportunity to run, for Malcolm was distracted and she needed to get away, while her partner was buying her time.

"Is this really what you did with your second chance?" Lucifer's voice boomed across the hanger, and Malcolm jumped before spinning around to face him. "Dearie me, Malcolm. Pathetic!"

Chloe managed to dive behind a stack of shelved goods, and stayed put in order to watch what her partner did.

"Lucifer! Hey, buddy! Long time, no frame!" Lucifer just laughed as he walked towards the dirty cop. "Though that didn't stick too well, did it? Guess I need to find a more permanent solution." He pointed the gun at the Devil, and Chloe wondered if she could get far enough away so Lucifer was immortal…

"Give me the gun, Malcolm." Lucifer held out his hand.

She looked around. _I can't get far, not without showing myself_.

Malcolm laughed. "Why? I'm not afraid of you. All you're doing is getting yourself killed. For what? To buy your precious Detective some more time?"

"No!" Lucifer's hand dropped. "No, I want to ask you a question. What do you desire, Malcolm?"

Chloe watched, her hands tightly gripping the metal in front of her, wanting to run to help her friend but knowing that it wouldn't do either of them any good… "Lucifer, what are you doing?" _Rush forwards. Use your super speed, and grab the gun_. Granted, that hadn't worked the night before, but it was worth a shot.

"What do you yearn for in that rotten soul of yours?" Lucifer was slowly moving closer, using his power to hold Malcolm in a daze.

"I…"

"You've been given a second chance, Malcolm. Is killing Detective Decker really what you want to do with it?"

"I don't…"

"No, of course you don't. You want to live, don't you?" He reached out and closed his hand around the gun, lowering it slightly. Chloe heaved a sigh of relief.

"I do. More than…almost anything."

Lucifer paused, and so did Chloe. "Almost?"

BANG!

…

The single moment that followed the gunshot stretched out for what felt like an eternity. And in that moment, Chloe thought, _hoped_ , that the gunshot had come from somewhere else. From another cop bursting in on the scene, followed by back-up and a reinstated Dan, bursting in to save the day, just like a movie…

But life wasn't a movie.

Malcolm didn't flinch from being shot by an officer off-screen.

Instead, it was Lucifer who flinched from being shot by Malcolm.

The moment passed, and yet time continued to move slowly. Chloe's eyes widened, her jaw dropped, and she couldn't take her eyes off her partner. She couldn't turn away as he looked down and saw that his hand was covered in blood.

She saw Caitlin again, shot and down and bleeding out on the floor…

 _Again_ …

Lucifer collapsed, and Chloe felt her world falling with him. She couldn't even scream.

 _No… No…_

Once upon a time, she'd wanted him gone. _Now I can't imagine my life without him_.

For the first time in her career, she froze up. She hadn't even done it when Caitlin was shot, though she'd come close.

Everything was falling, collapsing. Her partner, her best friend, was down. She had no weapon, and no hope of reaching one. And Trixie, her daughter, was somewhere close by, too close to the danger…

 _Trixie_ …

Thinking of her daughter cleared her head. She took in a deep breath and pulled herself together. Lucifer was down, but he'd stepped in to save her. He'd given his life so she could live; so she and Trixie could live. And she wasn't about to waste that chance he'd given her by freezing up.

 _I need to get my gun, and then I'm gonna send that son of a bitch right back to Hell_.

Tearing her eyes away from Lucifer's shaking body, she turned and fled into the maze of cargo that filled the hanger. Malcolm would no doubt come searching for her, leaving her guns unattended, and then she could run for them and reach them…

Without looking at Lucifer's body.

She screwed her eyes shut.

 _Alright, God. I know You're up there. Maybe You didn't hear me the first time, but You better listen now. My best friend just_ _ **died**_ _so me and my daughter could live. Your_ _ **son**_ _gave his life for us. If that doesn't get Your attention, then You are a heartless Father. So please…_ Tears spilled from beneath her eyelids. _Save him. Bring him back. I don't think I can live without him. I need him here. And he deserves another chance. I'll do anything. I'll give You my ticket to Heaven, if that's what it takes. Please…give him back to me_.

"Oh Chloe! Oh Decker!"

Her eyes snapped open. And then set in resolve. _He's going down_.

"Here, Chloe, Chloe, Chloe!"

His footsteps came closer. She remained still, listening, waiting for the opportunity to move, to get around him and to her guns…

He turned and walked in another direction. Chloe ducked down behind the stacks and slowly moved forwards, crouched and ready to spring if she needed to. She jogged and hid behind a stack of crates.

Her guns were in her line of sight. She just needed to run out into the open. She'd be exposed, but it was a risk she had to take.

Waiting until she couldn't hear Malcolm's footsteps, she bolted.

Footsteps behind her. Her body became tense, waiting for the gunshot, preparing herself for the fall and the pain, but she kept running for the guns, for her only chance to kill Malcolm and protect Trixie-

"Hello, Malcie!"

It was his voice.

His body was gone from the floor.

She couldn't bring herself to hope, and instead dove for her guns and grabbed the closest. Then she leapt to her feet, and in seconds she took aim at Malcolm and fired, one, two, three, four times. She emptied all of her bullets into his chest, like she'd done to Amenadiel the night before, for the same crime of harming her Lucifer.

But unlike the Angel, Malcolm was bleeding. He collapsed to the floor, glaring…

At Lucifer.

He was standing there, alive, real, alive, healthy, whole and _alive_ …

Their gazes met, and he _smiled_.

Like he hadn't just been shot in the stomach.

But there was still blood…

Her heart screamed at her to run to him and hug him and never let go, but she needed to find Trixie and make sure she was safe. Then Lucifer turned to Malcolm, who was still alive, and Chloe thought it would be best to wait until he was dead before she called out to her daughter.

Lucifer pulled something out of his pocket. His coin! He'd somehow taken it from Malcolm. Was that how he was back? Did it matter?

The Devil tossed it into the air, and it disintegrated as Malcolm desperately reached out for it. Then Lucifer crouched down beside the damned soul as it was pulled back into Hell, curtesy of the bullets Chloe had blown into his chest without regret.

He slumped, and he was gone.

And _finally_ , Chloe could breathe.

"Trixie!" she called out to her daughter. "Come out, honey!"

A blob of pink appeared across the room. Trixie had been hiding behind some crates where the stacks were closer together. "Mommy, is it over?"

"Yeah, Baby! It's over! Come here!" Once again she knelt down and spread her arms open, welcoming her daughter as she barrelled into her. "Oh, I'm so happy you're OK." Her daughter was safe. She was OK. And Lucifer…

"Excuse me if I don't join the group hug." He was grinning at them despite his reluctance, his smile jovial like always. He was trying to keep things light; act like they hadn't all almost been killed by a psycho murderer.

Trixie pulled away and Chloe rose to her feet. He was _there_ and _alive_ , and she didn't care if it was the coin's doing or if God had answered her prayer. All that mattered was he was safe, and he was still with her. She leapt forwards and tackled him in a hug, not caring how he tensed beneath her.

"You don't get a vote," she mumbled into his suit. Her tears were back, but they were happy ones, so she didn't care.

Lucifer chuckled before returning the hug. "Whatever you say." Chloe grinned when she felt her daughter join in the hug, which was followed by her partner's squirm. "Alright, now that's too far."

The laughter that bubbled out of her was uncontrollable, but again, she didn't care. They were safe.

Finally she pulled back, but didn't break their connection; instead she placed her hands either side of his stomach, observing the blood that stained his shirt and the hole the bullet had left behind. "I thought he killed you."

"Oh, he did. Yes." He hesitated; like there was something he wasn't telling her. "I got better."

She let it slide. They could talk about it later, once they were home and safe. "You promised you'd let me go alone."

"True." He nodded. "But, uh, didn't say anything about following."

 _Of course_. She wasn't surprised that he'd found a loophole. Though she was strangely glad he had, even if it had almost gotten him killed. _I'll be mad at him later_.

They couldn't go home straight away. Chloe had to call it in and explain everything, something she dreaded as she made the call, but it actually turned out OK in the end. Several cops arrived and Olivia herself came personally to help with the clean-up. Chloe prepared herself for yelling and suspension, but once the story was told with Lucifer's help, Olivia was only angry at the fact that Malcolm still apparently had "buddies" down at the station.

"Your ex-husband told us everything," she explained to Chloe. "Including what really happened at Palmetto. The evidence is starting to add up, and a tech managed to pull the recording from your phone."

Chloe couldn't bring herself to ask what was going to happen to Dan; she would find out in the morning, after a goodnight sleep.

She had to stay longer, but Lucifer was allowed to go once he'd been questioned. Chloe could tell that he was anxious to get away from the puzzled looks that the officers around them were sending his way; the blood on his shirt and the blood on the floor was hard to miss.

And there was something in his eyes. Something that Chloe couldn't place… "What's wrong?" she asked.

Lucifer only looked at her, and she knew immediately that he wasn't going to tell her. At least, not when they were surrounded by so many people. "Isn't it past her bedtime?" he replied, nodding his head at Trixie.

The little girl's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and she raced forwards and attacked his midsection with a hug. "Don't go, Lucifer! Please!"

Chloe felt the same way; she didn't want to let Lucifer out of her sight after almost losing him. But it was clear that he needed to go. Probably to check on Amenadiel, who had been hurt earlier on. "Monkey…" She stepped forwards and pulled her daughter away. "Lucifer's brother was hurt by the bad man, and he needs to go and see if he's OK." The sadness didn't leave her daughter's eyes, so she turned to Lucifer and asked, "Will you stop by later? Once everything's been…taken care of?"

He nodded and smiled. "Of course. You have my word."


	12. Chapter Twelve: Romance Dawn

**AN: I'd like to say a big thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story! I plan on writing a sequel (covering season 2) but I don't know when it'll be written/posted. If anyone has any ideas you'd like to see in the sequel, feel free to mention them in the comments.**

 **The song Lucifer sings is 'In Her Eyes' by Josh Groban (the song this story was named after).**

* * *

Chloe was lying next to her daughter, unable to sleep – unable to do anything other than stare at the wall – when said daughter shot upright and screamed.

It had taken an hour for Trixie to finally drift off to sleep (though that was partially because she had tried to wait up for Lucifer) and Chloe had remained by her child's side, unable to leave her after almost losing her. And while the nightmares were expected, Chloe's heart still broke to see her baby girl in tears.

She pulled Trixie close to her chest. "It's OK, Baby. It's OK. Mommy's here. You're safe." Her daughter sobbed as Chloe rocked her back and forth, simultaneously cursing Malcolm in her thoughts. The knowledge that he was burning in Hell satisfied her probably more than it should have done.

Speaking of…

"Chloe!" The front door burst open, and the familiar voice kept Chloe from reaching for her gun; the one that hadn't left her side since she used it on Malcolm.

 _He must've heard Trixie screaming from outside_. Only the thought of Lucifer storming into the bedroom with literal fire in his eyes forced Chloe away from her daughter and towards the door. The last thing she needed was Lucifer unintentionally scaring Trixie further.

They collided right outside the bedroom, and his eyes were indeed alight with Hellfire. Unafraid, Chloe gripped his shoulders and kept him still. "Lucifer! We're OK, we're safe. Trixie just had a nightmare."

The girl in question appeared from her room and barrelled into Lucifer, burying her face into his fresh suit and sobbing uncontrollably. Only then did Lucifer calm, his eyes changing back to their usual brown and softening in a way Chloe had never seen before, at least whenever his gaze was on Trixie. She, on the other hand, had been on the receiving end of that look many times, and she welcomed the warm fuzziness that came with it.

Lucifer placed a gentle hand on Trixie's head in an effort to soothe her, and the girl mumbled, "Don't leave us, Lucifer. Don't die again."

Chloe's eyes slid closed and she sighed. She'd been hoping that Trixie hadn't seen Lucifer go down…

Her eyes opened again when Lucifer addressed the girl, "I don't intend to, little one. No need to fret." The tone of his voice was as soft as his expression, and the rush of comfort that Chloe felt made her realize that, until his appearance, she hadn't felt safe.

She didn't feel safe in her own home (well, her mother's home), finding it only with Lucifer. And not because he was the Devil and was powerful enough to never let anything or anyone harm her and her daughter, but because he was her best friend. With him, she was safe from the dark despair in her mind that threatened to overwhelm her; the aftermath of the terrible night they'd all experienced, shock that was only showing itself since the adrenaline had worn off.

The detective wanted to feel ashamed for her sudden dependency on him. She was a strong, no-nonsense woman fighting to make it in a man's world. _I can't afford to lean on anyone. I need to be that strong woman I promised myself I'd be_.

But Lucifer knew that, and what was more, he _liked_ that about her. Unlike Dan, who liked it a little _too_ much when she leaned on him, Lucifer wouldn't stop until she was back to herself again. Everyone needed help sometimes. There was no shame in admitting that. _Not_ admitting that she needed help, that she needed someone to talk to and keep her company, had almost hardened her to the point of no return.

Pride be damned, she needed her best friend around until she could sleep soundly without her gun glued to her side. "You think you can stay the night?" The words were out of her mouth before she could properly process what she was asking of him – and how he would interpret her invitation.

His seductive smirk wasn't a surprise; a mirror image of the one he'd sent her all those weeks ago, back when he'd broken into her kitchen and she wanted nothing more than for him to leave her life for good. _Boy_ , had they come a long way. "Now, _there's_ an offer I simply _cannot_ refuse, Detective."

But a record needle scratch in the form of Trixie put an end to his hopes. She pulled her face back from Lucifer's suit (leaving behind tear and snot stains which Chloe was absolutely certain Lucifer would be complaining about later) and despite her eyes still looking red and puffy from her sobs, there was a wide grin on her face and she looked like she was going to squeal with joy at any second. "We can have a sleepover!"

"Well…" The unusually soft expression from before was long gone, replaced with a mix of confusion and horror, and Chloe didn't even try to hide her grin. "A sleepover requires _sleep_. So, you need to be getting back to your bed…"

As he tried to ply the girl from him, Trixie only hugged tighter and once again buried her face into his suit. "Don't wanna."

Chloe moved towards her daughter. "Trixie, honey…"

" _No_."

The detective sighed. "Would you like to sit on the couch with us?"

Half of Trixie's tearstained face appeared with a slight turn on her head, and she nodded.

Lucifer looked uncomfortable. "Detective-"

"Knowing she's safe will send her to sleep easier," Chloe explained. "And with both of us here, she is."

Her friend's eyebrow rose. "You entrust your child's life into the Devil's hands?"

"Always." She didn't hesitate in her reply; it wasn't even a question. If keeping Trixie safe meant handing her over to the Devil himself, she would do it every single time. Heck, if given the choice, she would choose Lucifer over Dan, Trixie's own father. _Because Lucifer has never lied to me, and he never lets me down_.

Thinking of her ex reminded her that she hadn't even told her daughter about what Dan had done. Unless Malcolm had told her already.

The thought haunted her as she and Lucifer led Trixie over to the couch, which they settled on together in a heap of pillows and a blanket which Chloe unfolded and extended over them. Lucifer removed his blazer and just looked awkward as Hell (pun not intended) though Chloe caught him glancing at her a couple of times.

In between her two favourite people, Trixie was soon asleep, breathing softly with her head resting against her mother's side. Chloe gently stroked her daughter's head in soothing motions before placing a light kiss on her forehead.

"Penny for your thoughts, Detective?" Lucifer asked, his voice a whisper.

Chloe sighed. "I'm gonna have to tell her about Dan. And I'm not looking forwards to it."

"Perhaps you should wait until _after_ you know what's happening to your ex?" Lucifer suggested. "If you tell her when _you_ don't even know what's going to happen to him, then it will worry her into fearing the worst."

His advice was sound. Chloe shrugged. "That's probably best. Dan hasn't been over these last three weeks, and when she asked about him I just said that we had a fight. It upset her, but she understood. It's not the first time Dan's disappeared for a few weeks after a fight. She'll just assume he's still keeping his distance – unless Malcolm told her already."

"But he wasn't there when your ex turned himself in."

"Malcolm's not stupid," she explained. "He knew that the money had been taken to the precinct, and he knew I had access to it. Most likely, he watched us leave with Dan, and then when I answered Dan's phone… Well, it wouldn't take him long to figure it out. And it would be like him to try and upset Trixie by telling her about all the things her father did…"

Lucifer's hand reached across and took hers. It meant a lot, especially considering where her friend stood when it came to her ex. "Has the child mentioned anything?"

Chloe shook her head. "But I don't think she would, at least not tonight. I'll ask her in the morning." Her words were followed by a groan. "I'm _so_ not looking forwards to tomorrow. I have to find out what's happening to Dan, I need to call the school and give them an earful about letting Trixie go with a stranger, cop or no, I need to find out why Julia didn't show up, and to top all of that off, Monroe wants me to help her try and weed out Malcolm's buddies."

"Like me to lend a hand?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

He grinned. "I won't be there all day, mind you. The penthouse needs cleaning, and my brother and I have some…family business to attend to."

And there it was again; that look he had back at the hanger, right before he left. There was something he wasn't telling her, and that something had him on edge. Was it really fear she was seeing in his eyes, or was she just imagining it? "Is he OK?" she asked, hoping that she wouldn't have to prompt him into telling her what was wrong. She wanted him to tell her at his own provocation, no persuasion necessary.

"Amenadiel survived, yes," Lucifer replied. "Turns out Maze kept one of my feathers and used its divinity to heal him. You haven't seen her, have you?"

"Maze? No."

"Ah, well. She probably thought Malcolm was still out there and left to find him. She'll be back soon enough." He sighed. Chloe didn't speak again, instead squeezing his hand to let him know that she was there, and that he could tell her anything. Lucifer sighed again, before he said, "A soul escaped Hell."

 _Oh_. "Maze mentioned that happens sometimes. But from the way she was talking about it, it didn't seem like that big a deal for you guys. And you look…" She couldn't finish her sentence, instead wondering what or who could escape Hell that would scare Lucifer. Her mind went over the truly terrible people throughout history – tyrants, mass murderers, rapists – but Lucifer had described all of them to her before without batting an eyelid. There was also Malcolm, who had been determined never to go back to Hell, but then Lucifer had never been afraid of Malcolm, either.

"This is no human soul, Detective," said Lucifer.

Chloe thought of all the things she imagined existed in Hell. Demons, _monsters_ … Things that Lucifer had refused to explain, saying that it would be too much for her to cope with and would forever scar her human mind with unimaginable nightmares. Had something like _that_ escaped Hell? And if Lucifer thought _her_ mind would be scarred by it all, when she was best friends with the Devil himself…

"Then what escaped Hell, Lucifer?" she dared to ask, because she had to know. If humans were in danger, if she and her daughter were in danger, then of course she had to know. Regardless of what it was and what nightmares it would give her for the rest of her life.

Lucifer turned his gaze away from her, staring out the darkened window before he replied. "My mother."

Of all the things he could have said, that had been the last thing Chloe expected to hear. "Your…mom?"

He nodded, and Chloe realized for the first time that for all of Lucifer's talk about his family, he barely mentioned his mother. There was recently when he described her as a bitch, and then there was the night she found out. From what Lucifer had told her, all Chloe knew was that his mother had helped God create the universe, Heaven and the Angels. She was written out of most versions of the Bible. And she eventually grew cold and distance, neglecting her family.

Was it a case that there was nothing worth mentioning with his mother? Or, judging by the fear in his eyes, his relationship with his mother was _worse_ than the one with his Father? Considering his hatred aimed at God, that would be saying something.

"She escaped when Amenadiel was incapacitated," Lucifer explained. "Took advantage of the situation, so to speak."

Chloe frowned. "Wait, why was your mother in Hell?"

"Dad put her there," said Lucifer. "And since I was her jailer, she's going to kill me. Mum's not exactly the forgiving type."

That…didn't really explain much. "OK, one: Why did God put her there? And two: Why did you go along with it?"

Her friend finally returned his gaze to her and replied, "I'm not really sure what she did. Though I suppose it might have had something to do with the plagues and the floods she caused. Not the Great Flood, mind you. That was actually Dad that time. I'm not really sure what Mum was thinking, but I wager they were arguing like you and your ex were. Only, since my parents are celestial beings, their arguing can cause these catastrophes."

"You never asked her why she was in Hell?" Chloe asked.

His expression hardened. "You want to know what she did when Dad tossed me out of Heaven? Nothing. She just stood there and let it happen. So, I did the same for her as she did for me: zilch."

Already, Chloe didn't like Mrs. Morningstar, not one bit. Sure, her relationship with her own mother was strained, but she never doubted that her mother loved her. And at the end of the day, as pushy and immature as she could be, she came through in the end. A little bit like Lucifer, the more she thought about it.

But the… _Goddess_ (there was no other word to describe her) just standing around and doing nothing when her own son was being kicked out of their home? Just letting her Husband do that regardless of whether or not Lucifer deserved it? That was heartless. Cruel. If put in that same position – if Dan was kicking Trixie out of their home for whatever reason – Chloe would take her child's side. No matter what.

Because that was what a mother did: loved their child unconditionally.

Finally, Chloe said, "So, your mom is a total bitch."

That got a smirk out of him. "Agreed, but don't say that to her face. I'd rather you _weren't_ flattened into the pavement, Detective. Of course, that entire scenario will only happen if you actually _meet_ her, and that's never going to happen. Not if I can help it."

Before his eyes could flash, Chloe squeezed his hand again. "So, what happens now? With her out of Hell…"

"I need to return her to Hell, and Amenadiel is going to help me, since this was his fault," Lucifer explained. "That's why I came back. I made a deal with Dad: I return Mum to Hell, and in exchange… Well, that part doesn't really matter-"

"Lucifer." Her eyebrow rose. "It's kind of obvious what you wanted: you get your mom back into Hell, and he brings you back to life."

"Actually…" He looked hesitant, and couldn't look her in the eye. "I asked him to protect you."

She stilled. "You…what?"

"To be more specific, I said I'd do whatever he wants me to do, and he showed me Mum's empty cell." The Devil laughed, but it was forced and hesitant. "And it all worked out in the end, since you're safe, and so is the spawn…"

The further explanation hit her harder. _God could have asked him to rule Hell again. God could have forced him to do anything, because that's what he offered. And Lucifer could have asked for anything in return. But…he was willing to give up his freedom…for me_. Gone was the self-centred, sex-crazed club owner who she had met on the night of Delilah's murder, replaced with someone who had been willing to give up his freedom so she could be safe.

She would have tackled him and hugged him to death if Trixie hadn't been in between them, so instead she settled for once again squeezing his hand, and he trailed off as his gaze met hers. "Thank you. That… I…I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing _to_ say, Detective." He grinned. "But if you would like to thank me in other ways, like perhaps a kiss, and of course sex is always on the table. It never left the table, really…"

Her eyes rolled. "Shut up."

"You could shut me up, yourself." His eyebrows wiggled.

Since slapping him would wake Trixie, Chloe just turned away and shook her head. "So, what about the coin? I thought maybe you took it from Malcolm, or maybe because he killed you that broke the deal between you two…"

"And the coin magically came back to me through some 'Deal with the Devil' magic?" Lucifer shook his head. "I'm afraid my deals don't work that way. Dad took the coin from him and gave it to me, using it to bring me back. Not surprised you had a theory, though."

"One of two," Chloe admitted. "But the other…could've played a part…maybe…" It was her turn to appear hesitant. From what Lucifer had told her, God was in the business of making deals, just like his son. And she'd offered him one, in her desperation, which for all she knew he could have taken.

Lucifer was alive, after all.

The Devil's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" He sounded worried. If he already suspected what she was going to say, maybe there was something to be worried about…

Chloe bit her lip. "After you…you were shot, I ran to hide, and…and I started praying. I asked your Dad to bring you back, and…I may have offered up my ticket to Heaven in return."

The concern in his eyes grew tenfold. "Did you get a response?" he asked her with desperation in his voice.

"I…I don't know," she admitted. "I mean, I didn't feel anything, I didn't hear a voice in my head, or anything like that…"

His sigh of relief followed her reply. "He didn't take the deal. You would definitely have felt something if he had. Please don't ever do that again; I don't want to storm Heaven and demand they accept you there."

"So, you're allowed to make deals with your Dad to save me, and I'm not allowed to do the same in order to save you?"

He stared at her for a moment. "You would have no idea what you were getting yourself into."

* * *

Chloe was at her desk with too many things to worry about when the elevator doors opened and two men were thrown out of it one by one.

"Lucifer…" Chloe shut her eyes and sighed with annoyance.

Her partner strode out, adjusting his cufflinks as if he threw men around on a casual basis, before addressing the precinct. Everyone was (un-shockingly) staring at him. "Can someone locate Lieutenant Monroe for me, please? I have some dirty officers here in need of punishing. Buddies of Malcolm's. Tried to shoot me a few streets down, but it didn't end well for them. Oh, and if there are any other officers here on the take, speak up now because you'll make it easier on yourselves."

Two other men towards the back of the room suddenly bolted for the stairs, but it was a pointless attempt and they were caught in seconds by other officers. The two men lying by Lucifer's feet where hauled up and led away as well, and Chloe noticed that they were trembling with fear and muttering things about "the Devil" and "Hell". The detective just rolled her eyes.

Once the men were gone, Lucifer wandered over to Chloe's desk. Trixie, who had watched the entire episode with silent awe, leapt from her chair and with a cry of, "Lucifer!" she ran to hug him. Lucifer flinched and hesitated before patting the top of the girl's head as if she were a dog.

"You OK?" Chloe asked.

"I was too far away from you," Lucifer explained. "Lucky for me, not so lucky for them. That's one problem down. You're welcome, Detective." He plied Trixie away from him with some effort. "Why is the spawn here? Shouldn't she be at school?"

"She wouldn't go," Chloe explained. "And I really wasn't prepared to send her back there after they let her leave with a stranger."

The Devil frowned. "I'm fairly certain officers can do that. Flash their badges and be on their way."

"Yes, but it's more complicated than that. The receptionist should have phoned here in order to confirm Malcolm's story." She shook her head. "Regardless, an investigation's been opened, and until it's resolved I'm keeping Trixie out of school. And on top of everything else, I need to write up the report on the "Satanist" case _and_ another one for Palmetto. I'd ask for help but you run for the hills when it comes to paperwork."

"Because it's _boring_ , Detective." Lucifer glanced down at Trixie, who had re-settled by Chloe's desk, before leaning forwards and asking in a low voice, "Does she know about her father?"

"I couldn't keep it from her in the end," Chloe admitted, also talking quietly. "Turns out Malcolm really _did_ let it slip. After you left, it took all morning for me to explain to her that her daddy wasn't a bad man and had just made mistakes."

"How are things going with Detective Douche?"

"He's not going down for murder," she replied. "Shooting Malcolm was ruled as self-defence, when I explained that Malcolm had been going for his gun instead of getting out more cash like I originally thought. But unfortunately, Dan's been keeping his involvement a secret for months, so no only has he interfered with justice but his reluctance to speak out led to Malcolm walking free and committing murder. Long story short, he's in trouble."

"Right." Lucifer moved around her and reached for her desk phone. "Can I use this for a minute?" He didn't give Chloe a chance to reply, instead picking it up and dialling a number. Chloe just left him to it, and they waited for a few moments for someone to pick up. And when someone did, Lucifer smiled. "Charlotte, darling! Lucifer here. Yes, I'm calling in that favour you owe me."

Chloe frowned. "What are you doing?"

Lucifer pulled away from the phone for a moment and answered, "Getting your ex a good lawyer." And then he turned back to the phone conversation without another word.

The detective could only stare at him in shock as he continued to talk to the lawyer. He really didn't like Dan at all, and yet, he was helping him out. Was it for her sake? For Trixie's?

She waited until he'd hung up before asking. "Why are you helping him? I thought you hated him."

"Oh, I do," said Lucifer. "But he proved my innocence yesterday, and yours too, and quite possibly ruined his career in the process. I'm simply returning the favour. I hate being in anyone's debt, especially his."

"Or maybe you care." She smiled.

"About him?" He scoffed. "Heavens no. But I care about you…and maybe the spawn. And the two of you care about him, so…" He shrugged.

"Thank you."

"Detective." An officer approached them, and his expression alone meant that he didn't have good news. "I'm sorry, but… You may wanna see this."

* * *

Chloe kept her tears back as the body was taken away. She'd been angry at Julia for not picking Trixie up; angry at the young woman for not showing up, allowing Malcolm to swoop in and take the girl himself. She'd left texts, voicemails, each angrier than the ones before.

It had never occurred to her that Malcolm would've made sure she'd never pick Trixie up.

Julia had been found in her apartment by a neighbour with multiple stab wounds. Malcolm had made it look like she'd self-inflicted them, and it would've been ruled as a simple suicide case – if not for the fact that the knife in question was the one that had been taken from the Satanist group.

And since Malcolm had been found responsible for the other murders…

Once things were wrapped up, Chloe made her way back to the car where Lucifer was waiting with Trixie. The detective hadn't wanted to leave her daughter alone at the station with another officer, so Lucifer had offered to wait in the car with her. He hadn't been needed; the case was already solved.

Trixie had her headphones in when Chloe climbed in the car, and she took the opportunity to talk while her daughter was occupied. "Julia was studying to become a social worker. She loved working with kids, but what she really wanted to do was work with children who had special needs. She wanted to _help_ them; make a difference. And now, because of Malcolm…" She took a deep breath to keep her tears back. "What am I gonna tell Trixie?" She gestured to the child in the back.

"The truth," said Lucifer. He reached across and gave her arm a comforting squeeze. "But perhaps not yet. And rest assured, Julia is at the gates of Heaven right now listening to Uriel's welcoming speech." He frowned. "No, that's not a comforting thought at all. So sorry, Detective."

Despite the tragedy, Chloe couldn't help but grin.

* * *

The nightmare had felt so real. Lucifer hadn't come back from the dead, so when Chloe ran for her gun, she was instead shot by Malcolm from behind. Worst of all, she was left on the floor to bleed out while Malcolm left to find Trixie, who she could hear screaming in the distance.

Only when she woke up, she discovered that Trixie _had_ been screaming from her own nightmare.

Once she had calmed her daughter down, Chloe immediately rang Lucifer in order to invite him over again. She knew that neither of them were going to sleep without their favourite Devil around; safe in the knowledge that he was alive, and also knowing that he would keep _them_ safe, too.

Lucifer had a better idea. "Come over to my place. That way the offspring and yourself can sleep in an actual bed that's large enough for the two of you. Unless of course the spawn wants the bed to herself, in which case you can come and share _my_ bed, Detective."

She shook her head, but agreed that going to his place was the better option. Her neck still ached from sleeping on the couch the night before. So, after packing overnight bags for herself and Trixie, Chloe drove them over to Lux.

One car journey and elevator ride later, Chloe stepped into Lucifer's penthouse with her daughter by her side, and found the owner lazily chilling on his couch with a drink in his hand. Seeing him, Chloe couldn't help but think, _Even when he's acting lazy, he still looks elegant_. His shirt was untucked with his sleeves rolled up, and his hair had curled in a way which caused Chloe's hands to itch with a desire to run them through his lovely black locks, and she was going to stop her thought process _right there_ …

"Lucifer!" Trixie hurried forwards, and Lucifer managed to set his drink down on the coffee table and leap to his feet before the child engulfed his legs in a hug. He flinched, and Chloe supposed it was too much to hope for his far more positive reaction the night before to make a reappearance ever again.

"Detective. Offspring." Lucifer used his arm like a shoe horn in order to pry Trixie from his person. "I'll show you to your room."

He led them over to the stairs by his study area, and looking around, Chloe commented, "So, the cleaning went well." It was what he'd been arranging before he'd arrived at the precinct. The shattered glass had been swept away and replaced, including the shelves behind his bar.

"It took them all day, but they managed it." They descended the small stairs leading into the more liveable area of the penthouse; there was a kitchen, which Chloe had been in once, and one of the two bathrooms, which she'd used a few times, as well (the second was an on suite next to his bedroom, which she'd only caught a glimpse of once before). The two other rooms were bedrooms, one a spare room and the other…

"That's Maze's room," Lucifer said, gesturing to the closed door.

"Is Maze in there?" asked Trixie.

The Devil shook his head. "No. She's still a little AWOL, I'm afraid. Amenadiel's out looking for her, but he won't have much luck. When Maze doesn't want to be found, no one can find her. Not even me."

"She's still angry at you both, then?" said Chloe.

He nodded. "I suppose so. But she'll show up eventually. There's really nowhere else she can go." He opened the spare bedroom door, revealing it to be large and rather well-furnished. "Right, then. Here's the room. The good news is the TV works. The bad news is Maze stole the mini-fridge that used to be in here."

Trixie ran forwards and jumped onto the bed. "It's _huge_!"

"There's no rules in this room," Lucifer told the child. "If you wish to jump on the bed, then jump to your heart's content!"

Chloe just _looked_ at him. "Really?"

"After everything she'd been through, Detective, let her have a little fun," he said, pointing to where Trixie was laughing as she jumped up and down.

 _It won't be fun for any of us if she breaks her arm_ , Chloe wanted to say, but the smile on her daughter's face halted her words. It couldn't hurt, so long as she was on hand to make sure she didn't go overboard.

"Right." Lucifer clapped his hands. "I'll leave you two lovely ladies to get settled in."

He disappeared, though his piano playing told Chloe that he was still there, and that knowledge alone set her at ease. She settled Trixie into bed, and it wasn't long before the child was fast asleep, dreaming the night away instead of suffering the nightmares that threatened her.

Chloe laid down next to her and was close to drifting off herself, but a familiar angelic voice instead drew her from the bed and compelled her into the main area of the penthouse. The detective walked slowly up the stairs before she paused, content to watch Lucifer silently as he worked his magic on the piano.

" _She stares through my shadow, she sees something more… Believes there's a light in me, she is sure…"_

He still wore the untucked shirt and the pants that had been creased from his lounging, though for the first time, Chloe noticed that he was barefoot. It was such an innocent image – seeing Lucifer without his "battle suit" he called Armani – and she was grateful that she was one of the few who could see him like that. He let her see him with his guard down, and it was an honour.

A privilege.

" _Does she realize I awake every morning with her strength by my side?"_

If the lyrics were true, and she gave him strength, then it was the same the other way around. He gave her strength, too.

" _She's my inspiration, she's my northern star…"_

She wondered if it was right, how much control she had over the Devil himself. Lucifer would do anything she asked of him; go anywhere she wanted him to go. He was determined to do right by her, and it was an influence she couldn't take for granted.

" _All I call mine I will give to her completely 'til the end of all time…"_

Unable to remain in the threshold a second longer, Chloe began to cross the room and make her way over to the piano stool, wanting to join him like she had done weeks ago, after Father Frank's death.

" _I am not a hero, I am not an angel, I am just a man… A man who's trying to love her, unlike any other… In her eyes I am."_

He finished the song as she sat down next to him, and he wasn't even the slightest bit surprised that she'd been listening.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, she was first to speak. "Trixie's asleep. If she doesn't have a nightmare now, then we may have to make this sleepover arrangement a habit."

She meant it as a joke. But Lucifer's expression said otherwise. "You…you could stay? I mean, not just tonight, but for…for longer."

To be honest, the thought wasn't as unappealing as it would have been before. "How long are we talking here? Because living with my mom was temporary, and I'd like to have some independence, but don't get me wrong because I really appreciate the offer-"

"Not forever, Detective," Lucifer corrected. "Just… Perhaps until my mother is found. I have no idea what she's planning outside of possibly killing me, and I also have no idea how much she knows about my life here. She could know about you, Detective. And even if she doesn't, it won't take her long to find out about you. After what happened with Malcolm, I'd…feel better, knowing you and your offspring are safe. And I'm sure you'll sleep more soundly knowing your child is protected."

She nodded, seeing no downside in his suggestion. It would help her and her daughter cope with the nightmares that would no doubt reoccur for the next week or two, and it would keep her paranoia under control. There wouldn't be the constant worry that someone could hurt her daughter at any moment.

And there was one other thing. "I wouldn't have to constantly worry about you, too."

"Never knew you cared, Detective."

"Sure." She sighed. "OK, if I agree to this, I have some ground rules. While we're staying here, I don't want you having any one-night stands up here, OK?" At his eye-roll, she added, "It's not appropriate for Trixie. In fact, anything you know I'll find inappropriate, like partying, walking around naked," He went to comment on that, but her glare shut him up, "or anything like that is banned from this penthouse until we leave. If you want to have fun, keep it in your club downstairs."

He sighed overdramatically. "Very well, Detective."

"And two," she continued, "I want you to put some sort of code or lock on the elevator, so strangers can't get up here. I mean, you've had Malcolm up here trying to kill you, and I'm pretty sure he's not the only one. Anyone could walk in here and try and hurt us, or take Trixie."

That request wasn't met with any resistance. He simply nodded. "I never had to worry about it before, when I was immortal. But now that I'm not, and now you're here… Yes, that's an excellent idea. Shall we collect your stuff tomorrow, Detective?"

"Remember, Lucifer, this is only temporary," said Chloe. "OK?"

"Right." He nodded, but reluctantly so. "But… If anything like this happens in the future, would you do this again?"

"Lucifer, I'm a cop," she explained. "My life is at risk constantly. Sometimes it's hard to justify, and I sometimes wonder if it's fair on Trixie to have that possibility that she could lose her mother one day, but it's something I have to live with. It's something we both have to accept as life." When he averted his gaze to his lap, Chloe realized that something was truly bothering him, so she reached out and placed her hand over his. "Lucifer, what's wrong? Talk to me."

He sighed, his breath exhaling almost like a shudder. "I know you will die one day, Chloe. But I hope that day is years from now, when you've lived out your life and it's time for you to die. And even then, I don't look forwards to it. I can't think about you dying, because…because when you die…you will go to the one place I can never follow you. And…I will never see you again."

It was something she'd thought about. Of course she had. Ever since he'd basically revealed the existence of Heaven and Hell, she'd come to the warm conclusion that she would see her loved ones again; her father, her grandparents, Caitlin… They were all waiting for her.

Except for Lucifer.

He could never go to Heaven again – and that meant she would never see him again. For them both, it would truly be what she thought death was before: a nothingness.

It was why she thought Hell wouldn't be so bad, because at least then, she would have a chance to see him again. But he'd been determined to never let her go there…

She couldn't say anything. Had no way to reassure him. So instead, she rested her head on his shoulder and squeezed his hand again, letting him know that for the time being, she was with him and wasn't planning on going anywhere.

* * *

She awoke in the dark, and for a moment wondered where she was. But then it came back to her; the nightmares, the journey to Lucifer's penthouse, and sitting by the Devil's side on his piano stool, one of her favourite places to be.

But Chloe couldn't remember walking back to bed, nor tucking herself in. How…? Glancing to her right answered her question.

Trixie was curled in a ball under the covers, one of her many stuffed animals clutched to her chest, and she was sleeping with a small smile on her face. And on the other side of the child was Lucifer, laying on the covers, still dressed in his shirt and trousers, still barefoot and his hair still curled. One arm was loosely stretched over Chloe and her daughter protectively, and he looked so _peaceful_ that Chloe wanted to watch his sleeping face forever.

The road would be bumpy; Lucifer's mother was on the loose, things with Dan didn't look good, and that wasn't even including their day jobs and all that they entailed. Not to mention the roadblocks that undoubtedly came with befriending the Devil. Things wouldn't always be cakes and roses. Life would be tough.

But life had always been tough.

And really, if she still had moments where they could rest and just _be_ with one another without expecting anything in return – if they were allowed to slow down and take a breather and enjoy their time together – then all the hardships would be worth it. Because all she had ever asked for was a friend who understood her and had her back, and whether it was intentional or not, God had given her one.

Her best friend was Lucifer Morningstar, the Devil himself.

And she was perfectly OK with that.


End file.
